2 new hives - couple years later! :) Building Wax for Honey

[Reagan Rozales]

I ment to say in the title: Building Wax for Honey

I started beekeeping back in 2010 with 1 hive - not really knowing what I was doing I got the hive equiptment from a member of my club (trying to save a few $$s). Everything looked clean and well-kept. The girls happily made it their new home, but we got no honey that year or last year. They actually didn't even build much comb on the frames (regular wood frames with black plastic that you snap in place). Yes we had the bad drought, but they continually brought in pollen (from who knows where) - so I think I should have gotton a couple supers worth of honey.

For this spring I have ordered 2 more hives and I have all new hives and bran new frames that are all beeswax coated. I am wondering what is the best way to get the honeybees to build up wax for the frames so they have place for the brood/honey?

I'm not really sure if I'm asking the correct question, but I feel they should be making wax for the cells even if they don't get any honey harvest. And I don't really think it should matter that much if its new or used equiptment..

Any other pointers for starting off 2 hives, I will be greatful. I'm excited/nervous to see what will happen this year. Its been 2 years since I've gotton to install any bees, looking forward to April when they come.

[Scottsman]

I too am a rookie, sometimes don't think I'll be anything else, but to motivate my hives to build comb, I put on 2-1 sugar syrup last fall. They built out on two small honey supers and never stored anything in them. I figure they have a good start this spring. The syrup may not have had anything to do with it but I had been feeding them 1-1 during the drought and they didn't want to add comb.

[Bsweet]

Yep. Feed em syrup as long as they will take it or until the brood chamber is drawn and your ready to super the hives and then stop feeding. Jim

[Katharina]

As everyone said, sugar water until all frames are drawn out. Now another question. Do your frames look like a griddle with wax patties on it? If so then they have rejected the plastic. I have seen it on Pierco frames. All you then can do it take the non-drawn frames out and coat them with bees wax. After that spray them heavy with sugar water and give it back to the hive. They will go and lick the sugar off the frames and leave their scent on the wax. That will help accepting the frames. I spray all my new frames with sugar water.

I think your bees were not able to find enough nectar to produce extra honey last year. They can find pollen long after the bloom has been gone. We are in the middle of winter and my bees find pollen on warm days and nothing is blooming at all. Nature has just played badly for you. Nothing you can do.

[Reagan Rozales]

Thanks everyone!

Katharina, I'm not sure if they look like a griddle with wax patties on it. I'll go check on that this Friday (if its not too cold). Hopfully I'll easily see what you're talking about. And that's a good idea to spray all the new frames with sugar water.. I'll try that for the new hives I'm getting! We have been getting a few winter rains here, but not any cold weather hardly. I'm glad for the rain, but its been making me nervous about the summer heat.

Last summer, we skipped spring and had 4 months of solid wind, then the heat came strong. Perhaps we can be blessed with good wildflowers this year. :)

[luke0927]

1:2 of sugar water should help them get a good head start on drawing out comb.

[Vance G]

I don't think many people got honey in texas last year! You had a real dry time of it. Just feed them like the man said until they have stored and capped food and then it is your turn to just sit and wait. If you are in an area with lots of blooming plants and it rains, your bees will make honey. Patience is hard.

[rwurster]

I didn't have a surplus or a big build up on the package bees I installed last year either. Another local beekeeper told me that year 2 is when they tend to draw out large amounts of comb and to feed sugar syrup to help them do so.

[Reagan Rozales]

Vance: Thanks a lot. I'll feed them extra good this year. I also plan to have a garden of some kind for extra forage - & we do have a lot of mesquite fields around here. They should enjoy that.

Rwurster: I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one. I know a lot of beekeepers around here didn't get much honey, but I hadn't heard if they got enough comb. I hope your's does better this year too!

[rwurster]

All 8 hives are still alive. They all wintered in one deep, mentor showed me how much winter stores they should have in this area and all were up to snuff except one hive that went into winter with about 30 pounds of honey. All this warm winter weather is destroying their reserves but they're all doing good. When the flow starts I think they are going to go nuts.