[kejramer]

I have two hives, packages stared March 19, had drawn comb from two winter dead outs.
Started with one super and in time add second, about three weeks ago found one queen cell starting and saw that almost every cell had brood, more than half the frames in brood or honey/nectar. I have been noticing that both hive were not paying much attention to the darkest and oldest drawn comb until the flow kicked in. But when I found the queen cell I added some foundationless frame and some more older dark comb to open up the brood chamber and head off swarming. They had stared using dark stuff and had it filled too. Checked today and girls were drawing out the empty frames but the dark comb I set in next to the empty frames to get straight comb, the bees had added on to the dark comb with capped honey making it in to a double wide frame. Should I pull the double wide frames ( both hives did the same thing, consistent they are) and cut out the hard black comb and let them draw new? Anyone else seen comb added on to make really fat comb? I guess I screwed it up but putting the old next to the undrawn frames.

Keith

 

[Vance G]

What you had is common and expected if you do as you did. The same thing happens with foundation drawn in a similar way. My best comb gets drawn on a heavy flow with tightly spaced frames of foundation. I trim them and put 11 in a box. Foundationless frames are drawn one at a time placed between two frames of capped brood. That almost always results in a great comb. If the bees think they are short of drone comb, they may build the whole frame perfectly as drone cells.

 

[sweetas]

The queen especially likes new comb. Use the dark comb for honey or better still discard after extracting. Only use the dark comb for helping them start.