Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

best way to shake bees on a new tob bar comb.

4K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  lavert5 
#1 ·
I have a package coming for my first top bar hive this week, a few days ago, I attached a topbar from my TBH to the bottom of a topbar from an unassembled frame in my 8frame med and dropped it between two straight combs in the brood nest, so they could build me a straight starter comb and give me just a little brood to help anchor the package, My thought was that they wouldn't have the frame completly filled yet and I would just check to make sure there was no queen and then drop it nurse bees and all into the TBH, well, my bees are building very fast on the open bar and it's almost completly built, now I'm going to have to trim it a bit so it will fit in the TBH and I'm assuming the best way is going to be without bees on it so what is the best way to shake bees from a top bar without loosing the comb? Also, I noticed they have built a queen cup on the bottom of it, but having put anything in it, what should I do they have something in it, I want to keep the qeen that is coming with my package as I want her genetics.
 
#2 ·
Bee brush if you have one. Maybe use a turkey wing feather if you can get one. The new comb on a top bar frame is too fragile for much bumping with no support on the sides
. You could just put bee's and all in. Just set it aside for a second to give all but the nurse bees a chance to abandon ship.
 
#8 ·
If you have a follower board, you could use that as a template to trim the comb. We brushed the bees off a frame, snipped the bottom frame off, then laid the comb against the follower board and trimmed to size -- the knife blade goes along the side of the board. Pulled trimmed comb/side frames off, snipped any wires, cut the top frame to fit across the TBH, done.

I would think a long bread knife could be found at any discount dept. store (Wal-Mart, etc.) inexpensively.
 
#9 ·
Using a camel hair brush (yes I have one) I have brushed bees of one week old comb, not what I'd recommend even then I did damage, not a lot but you REALLY get a feel for just how fragile new comb is. In this case I'd still give it a try, use as soft a bee brush as you can find and be VERY patient they will get the idea.

Oh if trimming framed comb to fit use the bottom of the follower board as the key edge so the comb you cut is a bit smaller than the biggest that will fit. I did it the other way once and got a nice comb follower board for my troubles. Cutting it out of the hive later was not fun!
 
#10 ·
When cutting a "loose" comb to fit a top bar, I usually use a "linoleum knife" ... available at pretty much any hardware store. it's a thin, short, hooked knife & seems to work better than my bread knife for that particular task, as "sawing" with the bread knife has decimated a couple unsupported combs on me ;) As far as the bees go, they get out of the way faster than you could possibly cut the comb (well, unless you just start whacking at it, but that would destroy your intent anywise), so no need to worry with brushing them off.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top