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Bees flattening wax foundation?

5K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  Brad Bee 
#1 ·
I can't think how to describe what our bees are doing (I'll take a photo next time we open the hive) but it's like they are flattening out the pre-molded cells on the wax foundation, and in some cases, there are patches of foundation that seem like the lines are "blurred" and wiggly if that makes sense. In some areas, this is one the back of areas where they've drawn out wax and filled it with nectar.

Does anyone else see this in their hive? Any idea what they are doing?
 
#3 ·
I have had them remove the side walls of the combs on entire sheets of new foundation. they smooth it out or chew holes in it to move elsewhere.
Happens sometimes when there is no flow, the bees take the wax off the new foundation and rework it somewhere where they need it.

I have some frames in the hives now that were pretty smooth earlier this spring but have now been fully drawn out. I think it's normal behavior when they are not making new wax to "borrow" some from places where it's not being used.
 
#4 · (Edited)
lol. :)

Ok, just came back from the hive. For the first time since we installed the package, we weren't able to find HRH (edited to add... I always take pics of our frames and did see the queen in one of those pictures after reviewing them, so she's well :) , but there is capped brood, larvae. We had laying workers last year so I'm probably paranoid, but we don't have drone brood showing up. This is from a package installed April 25. Is it crazy to think they could they be building queen cells? Or is this normal?? Here's a photo (not sure if this will work, but I'll give it a try!):

Tile Bee Pattern Design Stain
 
#6 · (Edited)
I can't see what's going on there and I don't know how to enlarge without losing definition.
I can see, I think, that some of that comb does not look like it will be worker comb, maybe drone comb.
Are there larvae in some of those in the upper right? are any primed with royal jelly?

Hopefully some one with better eyes and image skills will offer a response.
 
#7 ·
It looks like they have some nice comb up top, then everything gets all screwy. TGIF day? Is there a pot field nearby?
Why don't you email that photo to your state apiarist? They could be getting into some sort of toxins. I would be interested to hear what they said.
 
#9 ·
Hm... interesting! Thank you for that link. I didn't know that... though a lot of those aren't really very common here in Colorado. And lilies aren't really blooming yet. :scratch: We have a lot of poppy blooming now. Lots of nice black pollen going into the hive. The cells are still pretty flat -- no real sign of royal jelly. I will send it off to our state beekeeper assn president and see what she says.
 
#10 ·
Let it play out for a week and then see what it looks like.
Not primed then no queen cells for a while. Give it a week or so.
Personally I wouldn't be concerned with poisonous plants being related to the look of the comb.
 
#20 ·
Rhododendron, I have read elsewhere, is something that bees don't like except in emergency. They will work it if they have nothing else. The honey they make doesn't kill the bees but it might kill humans.

Almost all of those plants are common in an urban environment. Bees know more about flowers and nectar than I will ever know and they have enough sense not to eat something that hurts them.
 
#25 ·
This looks like a case for the word I tried to introduce for irregular occurrences - FRINGE GENETICS. It is certainly irregular. We've seen more drawn comb than Brad, but we have not seen a patch of comb this large where the colony did not follow the imprint on the foundation. Is it OK if we consider that comb out of the ordinary? It does not appear to be "normal." The term fringe genetics was intended to apply to all those irregular, or oddball things that happen on a one-in-million basis. (Somebody has to get those colonies that do stray from the norm) If it happens to a beginner who wants to know WHY, nobody has a good answer. The best response is "fringe genetics." We don't really need an answer.

That thread ran aground on the response of big time beeks, who on the strength of numbers see some of these irregularities on a continuing basis. Those guys can ignore them. But does that help the guy with 2 starter colonies. I think not. Somebody needs to say that the beginner has one of those colonies that is operating outside their normal parameters. Use any words you like for it.

Walt
 
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