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New hobbyist here.....with a question.
Since we installed our new packs\age of bee's, we have had trouble with the wax. The bees are builkding, foraging, and doing everything well... but the was production is not the best.
On some frames (pierco) they have build a great wax layer, but 2/3 of the way down it becomes unattached from the frames foundation. So in essence, the wax is attached to two frames instead of one. This means that to move the frames will destroy thewax, larva,and stores they built.
If anyone knows an idea that may encourage them to build directly onto the foundation, please let me know. My first Idea was to replace some Pierco, with wax foundation. Thanks for the help
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I think my approach if I met this one would be to take the two frames out, cut away all the badly drawn comb, and put them back with one of the good combs between them. Hopefully they will then pull them properly, as you say they've already pulled some well.
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Regards,
Robert Brenchley
RSBrenchley@aol.com
Birmingham UK
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Hi,
Was the pierco foundation the waxed typed or the unwaxed? Remove the part that is draw wrong. Then put back in. Give them 1 gallon of feed. Bees need lots of feed to draw plastic well, especially the unwaxed type. Be careful not to injure your queen should she be behind the wax near the foundation.
Clay
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Thanks to both of you.
This problem did occur on a waxed Pierco foundation, by the way. Your ideas supported what I previously thought. I should be able to cut away a section of the drawn wax, and leave the remaining section (3/4 of the frame).
Do you think this could be a reaction to the plastic foundation? Maybe should I try a half and half (plastic/wax) mixture...or just wait and see?
Again thanks for the advice http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif
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I had the same problem. I kept at it, destroyng comb and letting them repair. I put the destroyed comb in one of those feeders that hang in the hive so the honey wouldn't be wasted. I finally gave up on the bottom deep and kept after them in the second deep and it worked. Someday I have to get back into the bottom and clean up the mess. I'll have drawn comb to give them by that time.
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seems like some colonies do well with pierco others make burr comb mess.Wood frames with pierco seem to be accepted better than the all plastic frame type.Scrape the mess off and put foundation between drawn out comb frames.
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I've got one hive on wood frames with wax coated plastic foundation. The foundation is black and it looks great when they build on it. I have the same problem where they won't build straight comb. They leave spots the size of a quarter with no comb at all. In other places they will build comb from one foundation all the way to the other. When I open this hive I always end up with broken comb and honey running all over. I'm debating on whether to put them on wax and get rid of the plastic. The black plastic is great for seeing eggs and gives a very rigid foundation, but the inside of this hive is a mess.
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I've seen bees do this with wax, plastic whatever. Sometimes some bee just decides to start off in a different direction. it's always helpfull when possible to put new foundation between already well drawn comb. If I'm supering and I have some drawn and new I put them every other frame.
