Replacing damaged frame in broodnest

**hugbeeman** · 05-27-2012, 08:47 AM

Hi all,

I purchased a nuc a few weeks ago tht came with a damaged deep frame. One of the top bars was broken in such a way that it did not hang flush to the top of the deep. I have been using the broken frame for about 2 weeks and the bees are making a mess of burr comb in the extra space above the broken frame. I am reluctant to remove and replace because the frame is loaded with brood, but I laso don't want to have a broken frame in my hive that makes it hard to inspect. Any suggestions on how to deal with the broken frame? Just take it out and replace it?

Also, my bees have been drawing out comb on the foundation in a second deep I have added (because I had about 7.5 of the frames in the first deep drawn), but I only see stored pollen and sugar syrup up there. Should I be concerned the queen hasn't found her way up there yet? Should I keep feeding them syrup to get them to draw out all the frames even though the clover nectar flow seems to be starting up here?

Thanks,
HB

**ccar2000** · 05-27-2012, 08:57 AM

If you can, put the frame in a deep box with a queen excluder between them. The nurse bees will come through the excluder to attend the brood. Or maybe you could also try moving the broken franme to an outside position and most likely the queen will not lay new eggs after the brood emerges. I am no expert, but those are two things that I would try.

**Vance G** · 05-27-2012, 09:32 AM

Those are good things to recommend. If you have a cordless drill, you could pre drill and precut a piece of dexion or light angle iron and about four 1 inch screw will mend the top bar wel enough for the season. Then keep it on the outside edge of the brood nest untill it no longer contains brood and pull it. We do get a lot of cull frames when buying nucs it seems.

**mike haney** · 05-27-2012, 09:49 AM

Listen to Vance that's the kind of can-do advice that comes from experience not parroted from books.

**Michael Bush** · 05-27-2012, 08:24 PM

From your description, I assume the ear of the top bar broke. Put a nail with a large heat (a long roofing nail works well) into the end of the to bar at the right length and you have a replacement for the ear.