How long to draw foundation
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I never really looked at it from a frame by frame basis. But I know with ideal conditions, a box (ten frames) can be drawn in about a week. But I don't count on that happening all the time.
Drawing in the brood chamber is sometimes paced by the queens need for room. And comb drawing in supers is paced by the fact they will fill it in as they go. So the actual maximum speed is slowed by other factors.
Drawing in the brood chamber is sometimes paced by the queens need for room. And comb drawing in supers is paced by the fact they will fill it in as they go. So the actual maximum speed is slowed by other factors.
>Boy it really varies.........
Precisely. Trying to predict this is harder than trying to predict the weather.
Precisely. Trying to predict this is harder than trying to predict the weather.
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Does the concentration of sugar in sugar syrup make a difference to how fast they draw comb?
>Aren't you getting dumped on with snow MB?
Yes. After all these gorgeous days, it finally decided to be winter.
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Yes. After all these gorgeous days, it finally decided to be winter.
Where in mid flow now over here and due to a lack of drawn comb I've had to use foundation in some of my supers. A medium super with 8 frames is taking an average of 30 days to be drawn, filled and capped, the supers with drawn comb are averaging 17 days to be filled and capped. Just shows you the real value of drawn comb.
As you say BjornBee every area is different and also every hive. I've got hive's that fill and cap a lot quicker than others but I've also got far too many hives that are quite simply "embarassing". Old queens and old frames in the brood box being the main problem, and those hives are what's pushing the average up (plus a bit of bad weather).
<Perhaps its the capping that I need to account for.>
Do you harvest frames before they're fully capped, there's a bloke in our association who sys he gives his frames a shake and if the honey dosen't spill then the humidity is low enough for the honey to be harvested.
Each to there own I guess.
<Perhaps its the capping that I need to account for.>
Do you harvest frames before they're fully capped, there's a bloke in our association who sys he gives his frames a shake and if the honey dosen't spill then the humidity is low enough for the honey to be harvested.
Each to there own I guess.
Rob, No. I just take note from week to week if I need to throw another super on. Whether its capped or not, I don't take note. Its whether I see the "white", and know to add another. I can add a super, and within a week they need another, although it may not be capped.
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268 Posts
Glad this came up. I'm reading the hive and the honey bee. It says:
"The first supers given above the food (sic) chambers in the start of the flow should be supers of drawn comb."
I assume they meant brood chambers.
Anyway, I'm just starting out and won't have any drawn comb. My supers are shallow and the brood deep, so I can't put the little frames in there to get drawn out, right?
It also says that if supers of drawn comb aren't around, put some drawn comb between foundation to get them started. Duh! If you don't have any put some in between. It says that this is called "baiting the super."
I plan on crush and strain, so never figued to have any drawn comb for the supers. Is this a problem?
The edition I'm reading is from 1975, so perhaps this advice has changed. Thanks.
"The first supers given above the food (sic) chambers in the start of the flow should be supers of drawn comb."
I assume they meant brood chambers.
Anyway, I'm just starting out and won't have any drawn comb. My supers are shallow and the brood deep, so I can't put the little frames in there to get drawn out, right?
It also says that if supers of drawn comb aren't around, put some drawn comb between foundation to get them started. Duh! If you don't have any put some in between. It says that this is called "baiting the super."
I plan on crush and strain, so never figued to have any drawn comb for the supers. Is this a problem?
The edition I'm reading is from 1975, so perhaps this advice has changed. Thanks.
Tom,
Most of the books go on the "best" advice that the author knows. thats not to say that the second or third option is somehow wrong or not effective. Just may not be the best optimal choice. there are many who crush and strain. The bees will make the comb again next year. It may be a little less productive in honey terms, but you get nice wax every year.
Most of the books go on the "best" advice that the author knows. thats not to say that the second or third option is somehow wrong or not effective. Just may not be the best optimal choice. there are many who crush and strain. The bees will make the comb again next year. It may be a little less productive in honey terms, but you get nice wax every year.
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268 Posts
Thanks Bjorn,
When I first met the president of our local association, he said something like "Ask 3 beekeepers, get 5 answers." That seems to be proving out.
When I first met the president of our local association, he said something like "Ask 3 beekeepers, get 5 answers." That seems to be proving out.
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