[xbted]

I installed a package of bees into my TBH about 2 weeks ago, and my girls have been very diligent in building comb. I started out with 6 bars, and every bar now has comb on it; unfortunately, they seem to have disregarded the guides I made by melting beeswax into slots I routed into the bars. I'm using 1 1/4 inch bars, and the bees are building the comb a bit off kilter so the comb spans a couple of bars. I'm a bit weary about cutting the comb off and reattaching it straight- this is my first hive and I don't want to sabotage the bees' efforts by bungling it since I really don't have much experience with this.

My question is- could I just leave the comb that has been built be, and try using the wedge shaped guides on the rest of the bars? This would mean that I would have 6 bars with comb that is crooked but theoretically, the other 20 or so bars of hive left may be built straight. Or should I get in there and fix what the bees have already made? And what is the best way to reattach comb to a bar, I've seen some posts about attaching it with thread- do I run a needle though the comb and tie the thread onto the bar? I'm sorry that this is another post about crooked comb, but I just really want to get this right!

 

[Joseph Clemens]

My 2¢, do whatever you need to get those combs straight now, you'll thank yourself many times over, in the future when you're working those combs.

 

[Michael Bush]

A bead of wax in a groove is a very poor guide. The bees can too easily ignore it. Put some real guides (a beveled guide or a poscicle stick or wooden starter strip guide) on the rest of the bars and straighten the bad ones. Build frames if you have to to tie the combs into, but get some straight combs. They will never build the next comb straight and centered if the last one is not straight and centered.

www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm

 

[Shazam]

Out of curiosity, is there any best method for 'straightening' comb without damaging it too much? I noticed the end couple inches of a couple of my comb were beginning to angle and tried to fix them but wasn't sure if I was being too tentative in order to avoid damaging the wax.

For me it wasn't a significant amount of deviation, but I wanted to catch it before it ended up pushing one comb into the next and throwing off future combs. And more wonder about best technique for future incidences.

 

[raosmun]

Do as M. Bush suggests or you wil have a bigger MESS later!! I know having tryed a TBH with waxed groves, quick and easy to make, but very poor gides.
Last winter got the TBH and the comb is now in frames, I used rubber bands to hold in place. Good luck

 

[Michael Bush]

I would say a good guide protrudes at LEAST 1/4". 1/2" wouldn't hurt. More than 3/4" is probably a waste.

 

[xbted]

Ok, I cut the cooked comb and reattached it to the bar straight, with lots of thick cotton string. I lost a little bit of brood, but not too much I think. My queen was still in the hive, so no problems there. The bees are going to repair the comb, right?

 

[Beethinking]

They'll repair it.

 

[xbted]

That's great! I've enjoyed watching them work for the past couple of weeks that I felt really guilty messing with the hive.