Should I Take Out The Foundation

[JOHN HINCHMAN]

I Have One New Hive That Is Making Natural Comb And Not Wanting To Build Off The Foundation, I Thought I Would Just Pop Out Foundation And Let Them Build Natual Comb Woundering If That Would Be The Smart Thing To Do Because It Is Not Working The Way I Have It Now?

[J-Bees]

Natural Comb!!!!

Sure Y not:}:}


JB:}

[drobbins]

the problem is that if they aren't using the foundation, then the natural comb is probably not oriented in the center of the frame like it should be
If you remove the rest of the foundation they will likely continue this pattern
how many combs do they have drawn?
could you take the frames with drawn natural combs, remove the foundation, and relocate the comb in the center of the frame like it should be?

Dave

[Ted n Ms]

Is this wax foundation or plastic it matters. My bees hate plastic.

[riverrat]

Natural Comb!!!!

Sure Y not:}:}

JB:}

Sounds like a way to get a natural mess if you are not careful

[RayMarler]

Go here, MB has a great website, and this is the address where he addresses using foundationless frames beekeeping.

[Rupert]

Ray, go where? You haven't put in a link. Or do you mean that there is nowhere to go for help with this problem? I have a problem with foundationless frames and also those with foundation have become completely stuck togather. The bees have made comb that fills the gap between the frames. They seem very happy, but it's going to be impossible to manage the hive next spring. How can I get the queen into a new brood box? If I put the jammed up brood box onto a fresh brood box with foundation, will it be possible to smoke the bees down? Any advice would be much appreciated.

[bigbore]

I think this is where ray wanted to send you to:

http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

there are some great tips here for any new beek, I know I have tried a few myself I don't think there is much to do this year, I have a hive that was like this, I scraped burr comb all spring, but finally got the foundation drawn mostly:confused:
I have a colony I cut out of a house, the cutout comb didn't stay in the frames too well, but I have that in the bottom deep, and I will be trying to remove it this spring when the bees are in the upper, and I switch boxes...
good luck

[Rupert]

Thank you, bigbore, that is indeed a useful site.

Rupert

[J-Bees]

I have a colony I cut out of a house, the cutout comb didn't stay in the frames too well, but I have that in the bottom deep, and I will be trying to remove it this spring when the bees are in the upper, and I switch boxes...
good luck

Do the Bees always go to the top box and for how long do they stay there.

[RayMarler]

Wow, I really gotta cut back on that lemonade! So sorry about not getting the link pasted in here back with my original post. Here is the link now...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm

[Michael Bush]

You will need some kind of comb guide. Simply an empty frame will often not work. This can be a starter strip of foundation, wood or a wooden bevel.

[J-Bees]

Pink lemonade is good for the heart so I'm told:

JB:}

Wow, I really gotta cut back on that lemonade! So sorry about not getting the link pasted in here back with my original post. Here is the link now...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm