could I have saved the brood in the comb I cut from a bait hive?!

584 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Gray Goose, Apr 7, 2020

mlanden

Discussion Starter · #1 · Apr 6, 2020

When I put out a bait box 11 days ago (it was taken up almost immediately), I had run out of frames - other than 2 drawn mediums and a couple of ancient empty deep frames. I knew I shouldn't leave empty space in the box, but decided I'd transfer the frames w/in 5 days or so, and before the bees could do a whole lot.

OK, fate intervened. Cold and/or rainy weather arrived, and it took me 10 days before I opened the box to make a transfer to a deep. And lo .... the bees'd filled the 2 medium frames, not touched the "empty" frames, and constructed 2 (1, really big) combs from the cover! Jesus!

I was told I should cut out the combs and attach them to empty frames (with twine, or rubber bands, etc). Cut 'em out, but .... the comb then seemed to almost melt in my hands, warp in shape, and fall into chunks. The rubber bands (worn out) snapped, and I couldn't do the twine correctly.

Unhappy to see that there were zillions of larvae and eggs (1st time in 5 years of beekeeping that I've actually seen a bee egg

) in the collapsed comb.

So, my question is: what could I have done differently (considering the circumstances)?? Was there any way I could've saved any of the precious brood? No way I could've attached bits of brood comb onto frames in the exact configuration, and I hear that's kinda crucial.

Thx much for any feedback on this. It was a nightmare, in its own way ....

Mitch

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Gray Goose

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5 ,8 ,10 frame, and long Lang

Joined Sep 4, 2018

5,848 Posts

#6 · Apr 7, 2020

Hit by that buss myself. I use 4 deep combs, older the better, Flanked by 3 on each side of Foundation Less frames either Medium or deep.
The frames being in the box is the best preventive. If you have all your frames full and have Zero on hand what are you going to do with the swarm?
So when I am out of frames I pull the decoys back in. I can then go a week with out worry. remote bait traps have 10 full combs or foundation.
GG