Question ...?remove this burr comb?

2444 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by DocHivetool, Apr 5, 2014

DocHivetool

Discussion Starter · Apr 3, 2014

...as in immediately?
Okay. I know...i know...bees do not like that space. It was a rookie move to remove the burr comb from the wild areas when the insulating box was removed, but then to put it back in so they could deal with the brood therein. Now they are building like bezoomny and so...

Does asking the question only delay the inevitable?

Are those cells funny looking, as in, might the girls be raising queens?
P.s. Hope this pic post works...seems like only the disoriented pics post (upside down)

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Michael Bush

· #2 · Apr 3, 2014

It's in the way, in my opinion, and therefore I would remove it.

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DocHivetool

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 3, 2014

Thanks for the word. I will post a couple of pics of this other stuff that had me asking about queens

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Mike Gillmore

· #4 · Apr 3, 2014

Did you inspect the frames?

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DocHivetool

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 4, 2014 (Edited)

I have recently gotten in there and looked at a good number of frames. There were nice sections of brood as well as pollen and honey too. They came out of the cold weather and i was able to switch the two empties from down low with the two upper boxes where they all were living. As well, i fired back up the beetle trap (bot board oil trap). In the chunk pictured in post 3 i found a couple mites inside a cell with/on a developing bee. Could these cells have just been drone brood?

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Mike Gillmore

· #6 · Apr 4, 2014

Sounds like you didn't find any queen cells on the frames and there is brood, so you should be safe on swarming.

There are drone cells on your burr comb, but some of the cells seem pretty long. If there are eggs on the frames they will start a new queen cell if they are planning to supercede.

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MrHappy

· #7 · Apr 4, 2014

You probably, like most people, have foundation in the frames that were there. It seems like they want to make drones and have no drone size foundation to put it in, so they made it there. I would move the second frame over and put in a new second frame without any foundation. This will give them space to make drone comb, and you can cut it out if you want to go that way to reduce some of your V. mites.

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Michael Bush

· #8 · Apr 4, 2014

The comb is all so bent around that it is hard to distinguish orientation. Drone cells are horizontal and sometimes stick out like that. Queen cells are vertical and almost always stick out some. Queen cells are rough and gnarled like a peanut. More so as they get older. At least one of those protruding ones looks a bit gnarly, but it's hard to tell.

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DocHivetool

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 5, 2014

Thanks for the input. Having replaced the final frame in that slot, one with a sheet of mostly drawn out foundation, i'm hoping to get out of their face for a bit.
Wow, there were oodles of bees like i've not seen before...
And there is a smell not unlike lilac

These girls look like they are turning the corner into spring, so while i prepare for a possible sugar shake in a few weeks maybe, i'll research treatment options. Thank y'all

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Question ...?remove this burr comb?

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