[Hoxbar]

Last week I hived a swarm. I only had 5 frames to put in my brood box, instead of a 9. I thought I would put the other 4 in the nex day but I forgot. I remembered yesterday and went to the hive and they had filled the area that was void of the frames with a huge piece of burr comb. I was thinking about cutting it out and putting it a 100 yars or so from the hive and hoping they will rob it and put it in their hive. Will that work? is there a better thing to do?

 

[Capricorn]

Cut it out and tie it into an empty frame, then put it back in the hive.

 

[Hoxbar]

When I went to the bee yard I pulled the lid off the hive and found the comb had broken into several pieces. I just scooped them up and put them on top of an empty hive. What do you think will happen? Will the bees eat the wax and take it back to their hive or will they just eat the nector?

 

[Monie]

They may just take the syrup. If there's any size to them, you can use a few rubberbands to get them situated in some frames.

 

[Hoxbar]

This is the biggest piece of comb I had whole. I guess when it got hot today the burr comb fell off. I think these pieces are too small to put on a fram with a rubber band.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/4585229673

 

[Beeslave]

Don't waste your time or the bees time tieing that into a frame. Save it for melting down later or throw it in the weeds. Use it as a lesson learned about violating the bee space.

 

[theriverhawk]

I agree with Beeslave...I might set it out in the grass and let them clean out the nectar that's in there. After that, I'd not worry about it.

 

[Countryboy]

By the way, that is not burr comb. That is just regular comb.

 

[Hoxbar]

If that's not burr comb, than please explain the difference. This comb was was filling the void of not having frames. It started on the lid and made it's way to the bottom.

 

[stump56]

That's because they use it for honey pollen or brood burr usually just fills space

 

[Monie]

If you have any empty frames, and assuming you are using a wedge top bar, you can turn the wedge piece so that it hangs down and nail it. Then take the biggest pieces and mash them into the frame with your hive tool. I've done several frames like that with good results. The bees take it from there, and build off of it.

 

[Countryboy]

If that's not burr comb, than please explain the difference. This comb was was filling the void of not having frames. It started on the lid and made it's way to the bottom.

Natural hives don't have frames. They have actual combs.

Burr comb can also be called bridge comb. It is comb (or wild wax formations) used to bridge small gaps or violations of beespace.

Bees often build bridge comb between the frame top bars and the bottom bars of the frames in the box above it. If you have your frames spaced too far apart, the bees will build wax bridges between the frames.

If you shove your frames together tightly in the center of the box, sometimes that will leave a beespace violation on the inside walls of the box, and the bees will build wax comb clumps on the insides of the box. Sometimes the bees start to build cell like designs, but the cells are never built deep enough to be used for anything.

 

[mdaniels]

If they have built that comb and bridged between two frames that were spaced too far apart, is there damage done to hive or brood if that is removed? Or should it just be left it?

 

[mike haney]

yes there will be damaged (destroyed) brood cells and honeycomb. thats the price the bees pay when WE violate bee space. might as well bite the bullet and clean it out now, as it will have to be done eventually and will only get worse. good luck,mike

 

[hoodswoods]

And it is (cutting bridge comb) one of the worst experiences I've gone thru in my extremely brief bee career (I hate valuable lessons because they tend to be the most painful). As beemandan says (so to say), experience is the test given before the lessons.

 

[Countryboy]

If they have built that comb and bridged between two frames that were spaced too far apart, is there damage done to hive or brood if that is removed? Or should it just be left it?

Even if the frames are spaced correctly, the bees will often build burr comb to bridge the gap in spots. You will also see them build burr comb between boxes, and often lay a row or two of drone brood in this burr comb. When you break the boxes apart, it breaks open this drone brood. (But gives you a good look to see how badly the drone brood is infested with varroa.) When you move frames, it will tear any burr comb between frames. Bees also like some burr comb between boxes to act as a ladder to make it easier to climb to the frame above them.

Don't worry about damage you may do to burr comb. True burr comb should just be ignored. The bees put it there for a reason. If you remove it, you are making them do unnecessary work to replace it. Burr comb is a very small portion of the comb in a hive. Damage to burr comb will only make a minimal impact upon the hive.

 

[mdaniels]

Thanks, sorry to have hijacked from the original question. Its been a bit cold here, so we'll take a look at it as soon as its warm enough to open the hives again.