Comb Issues -- Won't Build Below the top Box

[Cacklewack]

All,

I've got 12 Warre hives of various ages -- 1 was installed April 6th, 9 were installed at the end of April and a couple others were swarms installed at various times. They are at 5 different sites -- some of which have top bar hives at the same place going gangbusters.

The issue: All but 2 of the hives refuse to begin building in the bottom box, thus leading my two earliest Warres to swarm. I just checked the 9 others today after 2 weeks and while 1 has built out the entire top box and most of the bottom, the rest have filled the top box with no comb whatsoever in the bottom box.

All of these hives are built identically, all of them use the same style bars with wax painted onto a single popsicle stick. Could they need more wax? Is there something I missed in my reading of Beekeeping for All?!

Your input is most appreciated!

Thanks,
Matt

[doc25]

Well your variable seems to be the bees. Might I suggest that you try to bring a couple of frames down into lower box. Is there a flow on, are you feeding.

[Cacklewack]

As an experiment I moved the two end bars from the top box of each hive down to the bottom box. We'll see what happens.

The blackberries are just beginning and there's been plenty of other forage available.

Matt

[Stevedore]

I'm having the same problem getting the bees in my modified Lang to move UPSTAIRS. 10 days ago I moved the newest brood comb up to act as a ladder. Today still no new comb upstairs and they built a queen cell on the side of this comb. I moved a second new brood comb up beside it today. Both were from the far back of the bottom box. I may swap the boxes if there is still no new comb upstairs next week. There are only 12 bars in the bottom box and they don't seem to want to build on the first 3, though they built on the empty bar I placed in the back 10 days ago.

http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv350/Stevedore_photos/SANY0531.jpg

[dcross]

I realize it goes against the Warre protocols, but I would try starting them in one box and adding an empty one above it when they get going. They will follow the heat up(IMO).