[Riverderwent]

Any advice as to how to proceed.

You can leave the blob in the bottom box and leave it alone, you can work the blob to the side or top and eventually remove it when the bees have established a brood area elsewhere in the hive, or you can cut it out now and be done with it. I’m sure I’ve done all three. Most beekeepers are too (I’m not sure what the right word is, maybe “fastidious”) for the first option. The second option is too prolonged and stressful for both the beekeeper and the bees. So, I’d likely take door number three, work steady but fast, and be careful not to injure the queen.

 

[Riverderwent]

Russ’ advice is prudent and sound, but I’ve rubber banded a lot of comb in my time, and I’m just not one for doing it anymore. I’m not sure why; maybe I’ll get back to it at some point. Having said that, I will spend three hours busting up a pallet, getting the nails out, and building a telescoping cover for a swarm trap out of the wood using mostly non powered hand tools. (I know ‘cause I did it this evening.) So, like I said I may get back to rubber banding comb into frames at some point, but I kinda doubt it.