1:1 syrup feeder position inside TBH

Congrats on getting some bees. Does your TBH have a window? It helps to be able to peek inside to see how the comb is progressing and to know that they are not making a mess on the feeder (doubtful but possible). Keep feeding until the bees have drawn out at least 6 combs for the queen to lay in. You also don't want them to backfill these cells with the syrup, but that is also unlikely at this time of year when there is a flow on.

You don't need to move the division board until they have really started to fill up the existing space. And bees don't want too much open space to begin with, or they can make messy combs. With my new package that is still building comb, I like to inspect every 7-10 days to make sure they have the new comb on the bars where I want it. My existing colony doesn't need that much attention except to insert a new bar in the brood nest every so often.

I also had a feeder inside my hive that received the package on Apr 20. I did keep inching it back as they built more bars of comb so they didn't build on top of it.

yes, I recognize that I made a mistake in not separating the front wall from bar # 1 with a spacer, and further not separating bar #1 from bar # 2 in front, also with a spacer. Thank you for the guidance. Now, the dilemma: they have attached comb to the inside of the hive for sure on bar # 6 from front. I have never tried to separate any comb from the inside of the observation glass, but I understand theoretically how to do it, and I could try. I understand I need to be very delicate or it will break. However, I am afraid the queen might fly out, the bees have been there only 48 hours, and being as inexperienced as I am, not sure this would be a smart move. As an alternative, I am wondering if it makes sense for me to simply remove top bar # 1 closest to the wall entrance at this point (my hive has the opening on the short end). I could cover the space once taken by bar #1 with a flat piece of wood, like a shimmy, or I could cut a flat piece of wood to the right dimension, and replace bar # 1 with that. At that point, as far as the bees are concerned, there is the front wall of the hive with entrance, then flat piece of wood, then bars # 2 through 12 without separator. If this is the plan, I could cut a narrower piece of wood to replace bar # 1, then bar #2, then a separator, then 3 though 12. Does any of this make sense? I am embarrassed by having made all these newbie mistakes, but understanding and learning from them. I am glad the bees are forgiving ... I can use all the forgiveness I can get from them while I am still a beginner ... thank you again for the feedback and help!

sylvia

Thank you again! Ok, so desperation is the mother of invention, right? Please tell me what you think: I went to a hardware store and got a large wood paint stirrer. I cut it down to the size I needed (OK, not perfect. I might re-do it tomorrow ...). I took out the first top bar from the front. No comb yet. Wheww. I put the stirrer in the place of the first top bar. Then I have the original second top bar which now has become the first one, followed by a spacer. Then 3 through 12 without spacers. I am hoping they will be disinclined to build a comb on the stirrer thinking it is top bar # 1. Feedback, please ...

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I wish I were not such a newbie .... I am hoping that the wooden stirrer will provide some squiggle room when I inspect bar # 2 (which has now become bar # 1) and I hope that the stirrer will eliminate the danger of them building attached to the vertical wall of the front entrance there. Did I get this right? Or am I messing it up even more? (Before I had bars 1 through 12 all together, no spacers, and # 1 was right next to the front vertical wall, no spacers there either ....)

Thank you again, I appreciate your help.

sylvia

Thank you for all the information and suggestions. I went in, and put back in bar # 1. I had to cut on the side wall the comb on bar #6 to detach it, and I think it worked OK. This is my first time, so I hope I did not mess up too much. I went delicately, and it felt like the comb on bar # 6 was attached only to the side of the viewing window, but not on the opposite end on the wood side panel across from the window side, so I did not try to detach anything on that opposite end. 20?20 hindsight, I guess I should have checked the opposite side, too, but did not. It did feel loose when I moved the comb back, but I did not get a visual, and my learning experience for the next time is that I will. Is it possible that the combs are built and attached to one side wall first, and not yet on the opposite side wall? So, it could be that, by feel, I am right, one side attached to the wall, but not the other end yet? They came into the hive less than 4 days ago, as a caught swarm.

At any rate, now I have entrance vertical wall, then one spacer, then bar #1, then one spacer, then bar 2 through 11 without spacers, followed by the false back, then spacer+bars from there on to the end of the TBH.

I agree that the way I had tried to fix it with the flat paint stirrer yesterday was not a good idea, and that I had to try to correct the error early on, i.e., now.

Someone posted that bees are forgiving, and I hope I did not mess up too much their first comb in my first hive. Now, I will just let them be, poor things. They have had to put up with a newbie for 4 days, and I made several mistakes with them.

Where I cut the comb loose from the side of the window, I did not scrape the window perfectly clean from the inside, I went as close as I could with the comb-cutting tool, but there are still traces of the comb in the old position on the inside of the window. Will that create a problem for them or for me later on?

I am sorry I have all these stupid questions, but at the same time I am so grateful for the forum to be able to post here and get some good mentoring from those who have more experience than I do. Thank you so much!

sylvia

Sylvia, these aren't stupid questions at all. As a matter of fact, i've got a similar issue in one of my hives with comb being built on the observation window. 2nd inspection is going to take place tomorrow, and i have a swarm in my belly at the thought of having to scrape away that comb to free up the bar. It's not huge - just two or tree cells that i can see. I'll be sure to check the other side as well to make sure nothing's been attached to the opposite wooden wall.

As i understand it, the important thing to remember when cutting top bar comb is to cut UP towards the bar. Cutting in a downward stroke is a no-no, because it could cause the comb to drop off the bar (you may already know this, or someone might have already made that point - i have yet to read the whole thread).

Isn't this amazing fun though? Even though we fret over the well being of our girls, it's been such a wild and wonderful ride ...

PS: Have you seen the queen through your observation window yet? When it happens, you'll burst will glee ...