[B&N Bees]

I have a medium super with unwired thin foundation in it. The comb is nearing 100% capped but the comb is BADLY sagging. So much so that in places it looks like it might begin to contact the comb on the next frame (or even begin to run between the frames). Here is the question: Should I bother keeping this comb once the honey is extracted? Assuming it can be extracted without destorying the comb... Or should I clean up the frames and put new foundation in them next year?

Chris

 

[Ross]

That's one of the reasons I now go foundationless. The bees seem to do a better job of attaching, building down, and creating self supporting structure when they don't have foundation. I would probably cut it out and place the frame between two drawn frames without adding foundation.

 

[Michael Bush]

I assume you're talking about the midrib (the foundation) sagging to where it's almost touching the next one? Sometimes comb goes in and out because the bees make a thick comb. This is not a problem. You just cut the comb back to even with the frame when you extract and call it good. But if the foundation is that crooked then I'd cut the whole thing out.

 

[Sundance]

If the sagging comb has honey and brood in it what is the best solution prior to cutting out the screwed up comb???

I have no honey supers on and would like to save the brood as well as extract out the honey without brood contaminating it.

 

[Robert Hawkins]

Put your sagging combs up as supers, above an excluder. Let any brood hatch and honey cap. Then harvest the capped honey. Veeerrrrrryy slowly.

Good luck.

Hawk

 

[Sundance]

Thanks Hawk but I am not pulling honey this year, just increase. I suppose I could put a deep above an excluder on a hot booming hive and feed it back to others???

 

[Robert Hawkins]

You could also put the bad combs in the bottom box with an excluder on top of that. Just long enough to let the brood hatch out. In order to harvest the comb in the bad frames, you'll have to empty them of honey. There's several ways.

Put them above a weak hive and let them pull it down. Put them out and let all your bees (and your neighbor's) rob them out. Extractor, grandchildren, chickens.

See ya,

Hawk