Comb-capture frames

[Dan W]

Where can I purchase comb capture frames? I have a hive that was given to me and it is a mess. An empty hive body was placed on top of the hive with a queen excluder on top of that. The bees have built wild comb attached to the queen excluder and it is a mess. If that was not enough, the person who gave me the hive used shallow super frames in the two deep hive bodies and the bees have extended them out on their own attaching the comb to the frames below and then the bottom board. I tore a lot of the comb up sorting thru everything. I also removed a dead mouse and his nest. There was lots of brood. The only saving grace is the queen appears to be very prolific. She is laying an excelent brood pattern not hardly missing a cell and she is laying like there is no tomorrow. If I can buy some specialized brood/comb capture frames it will make things much easier. I won't wase so much brood or honey stores as well as drawn comb. I also need them for swarm removals. Please advise where I can obtain these comb capyure frames. Thanks, Dan W.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I don't know of a commercial source for capture frames. What I do is use an empty frame and nail a narrow slat across one side, two on a deep, and have three or four nails protruding through to skewer through the comb for support. I then apply rubber bands to hold thd comb until the bees attach it to the frames.

What I would do in your place is to let the brood box be, make sure the queen has moved up into the upper box, or new one if there is not one yet, and put an excluder inbetween. Once the brood has hatched out of the mess, pull it. You will need to make sure there is an exit in the upper box for the drones.

In short, your messed up brood box on bottom, an excluder above that, your next brood box above that (with queen) and either another brood or a honey super above all that. Once the brood is hatched, pull the bad box and feed any honey that is left over back to the bees.

[Michael Bush]

I agree with Bill, just get them to move up. Either drum and smoke them into the next box, or use some Fischer Bee Quick and drive them down to a new box. One frame of brood in the new box will help insure the bees will care for the queen. A queen excluder will insure the the queen stays. Then flip the old box upside down and put it on the bottom. If the frames are all glued together well this will work without frames going everywhere. The bees will hatch the brood in the old box but won't want the upside down comb because it slopes the wrong way.

I have captured many a feral hive with simply standard frames with no foudation and rubber bands or cotton string. The slat sounds like it would help some but also get in the way of some of the brood emerging. I haven't tried the slat, but it seems like a good idea.

I don't think anyone sells swarm catching frames.

[Jason G in Tennessee]

Dan, I think part of the reason that I would rather use regular frames for installing frame-less comb is it is not hard to just put it in with rubber bands or string.
Another thought, what if I did invest some time and money into some special frames like that? I would be putting them in to leave them for at least a season. What would I do next time I needed one?
I guess that is the main problem is getting them back to use again.
The idea does seem like a good'un though!
Jason

[BULLSEYE BILL]

>Another thought, what if I did invest some time and money into some special frames like that? I would be putting them in to leave them for at least a season. What would I do next time I needed one?
I guess that is the main problem is getting them back to use again.


After doing my spring inspections I have all my frames back. The girls moved up into the PC and abandened the old wax. The ones with stores in them, I left out in the field for them to clean out.

I will scrape them out and use them in my next removal.

[Jason G in Tennessee]

Bill,
You remove the old wax and use them again?
I thought that it would be good to keep the wax at least a year or two if it is in good condition.
Do you ever just let them keep using it?
Jason

[BULLSEYE BILL]

It ends up being a mis-match of different sized cells and not all drawn out nicely like a normal frame of cells. There are vacant areas and in general is not really of that much value.

They get cross connected and tear when being manipulated and there is the issue of the wood strip accross the one side of the frame. I want all my bees on Permacomb, not a glob of mis-matched cells drawn out imperfectly. Naw, pull them and render out the wax and use it over again.

[Hillbillynursery]

The rubber bands work great. Like you said about needing them again in to short of a time to get them removed. It is to much work to make the fancy catching frames and then to deal with them. I made my own frames which are foundationless(pointed top bar and bottom bar). For removing the bees from the old church I placed 5 rubber bands on the ends, 3 on one and 2 on the other. I left a little space between band for ease of getting them when needed. I brushed all bees of the comb into the box that I set on shelf brackets. I tried to cut the combs close to size when cutting them out of the wall but some needed trimming. It was easy to hold the band away from the surface of the comb till I had it where it belonged. And I did all this while on a ladder. I will not spend the time as of now making special frames and may never but most likely will when I have enough time to make a set but that will be awhile.

[Clayton]

There is a source for swarm catching frames that are 4 sale. A link was put on organic list last year but I have lost the URL. Go figure If someone with the time wanted to search the net I'm sure it could be found.

Clay