Cut out or leave

[shawnwri]

My new package in an 8-frame bedium is doing very well other than a lot of bur comb production in the hive top feeder. I don't want to screw things up and was wondering if I should just let them continue until I remove the feeder or cut the comb out now. They have almosf filled one side of the feeder with comb that is attached to the inner cover. I found the queen (Russian) down in the box and they have almost drawn out 4 frames of new foundation in two weeks.

[ScadsOBees]

Get rid of it as soon as possible. It will only get worse. Then make sure that they can't get back in there.

If it has brood in it you can tie or band it into frames. Otherwise, if it just has nectar/honey in it then you can find a way to feed it back to them.

Rick

[Michael Bush]

>hey have almosf filled one side of the feeder with comb that is attached to the inner cover. I found the queen (Russian) down in the box and they have almost drawn out 4 frames of new foundation in two weeks.

Sort of like this:

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/BroodNestInFeeder.JPG

The sooner you get them out the better.

[shawnwri]

>hey have almosf filled one side of the feeder with comb that is attached to the inner cover. I found the queen (Russian) down in the box and they have almost drawn out 4 frames of new foundation in two weeks.

Sort of like this:

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/BroodNestInFeeder.JPG

The sooner you get them out the better.

Thanks. I have been having trouble with this hive. It is 15 days since putting in the package with a Russian queen and no sign of brood in the brood box yet, though they have drawn out 5 frames. Maybe it is up in the feeder. They also started to build comb parallel between two frames of foundation. Best to assume I violated the bee space. My grandfather always said it is a poor workman who blames his tools. My mentor has been busy but hopefully we can get together after this next spell of rain passes.

While I like the idea of all 8 frame mediums, this set up has given me far more trouble than the standard 10 frame langstroth deep with an Italian queen that I started at the same time. They have drawn out 4 nice staight frames.

[Lively Bee's]

Thanks. I have been having trouble with this hive. It is 15 days since putting in the package with a Russian queen and no sign of brood in the brood box yet


Look real close if you dont have eggs or larva yet you had best start hunting a queen. If she has gone this long and not laying she mioght be a drone layer.

[RonS]

Shawnwri,

I clean out burr comb every time that I open the hives. The wax is softer when young and the bees don't seem to mind it as much. This is the wax building time of the year and they will build it anywhere that they have space. I am using Pierco plastic frames with imprinted cells. The bees in one hive completely ignored the printed cells and built their own cells on top of it. Works for them, works for me.

[Michael Bush]

>While I like the idea of all 8 frame mediums, this set up has given me far more trouble than the standard 10 frame langstroth deep with an Italian queen that I started at the same time. They have drawn out 4 nice staight frames.

What about this setup has given you problems? The top feeder seems to be your problem, not the eight frame mediums. Some bees just do what you expect and some don't. Get them out of the feeder and you'll be much happier with them. :)

[shawnwri]

Good point. It really isn't the system but the girls not going where I want them to.