Cutout

[Ronnie Elliott]

My hives or on a screened bottom rack. I hived the bees, and put there brood, and some honey in the frames using cotton string. The honey was dripping from the frames To keep the neighboring bees from robbing I closed up the entrance completely, to give the bees time to repair the wax comb damage. How long should I wait before letting them out using a reduced entrance?

[TX Ashurst]

It's warming up, so don't keep them confined during the heat of the day. A couple hours should be enough for them to clean up the dripping honey - maybe 12 if it is flowing instead of dripping. Then, don't disturb the hive for at least a week so they can concentrate on reattaching the comb. And, I wouldn't consider moving the hive for at least a month, preferably not until next year.