[queenbee3074]

When adding new supers (no drawn out comb) just wax foundation, is their anything you can do too get them to draw out faster? I'm hoping they are able to get it drawn out and filled with honey. But, I don't know if that can happen in the same season????

 

[RayMarler]

It takes good strong nectar flows. You can help get them using the super added by moving a frame or two of drawn comb up into the super when adding it. For the first super over the broodnest, it helps to have frames of eggs and younger open larva in the box right under the first super added. Any honey frames in the broodnest should be moved to the lower box, that is if you are using more than one box for broodnest area.

They don't like honey under the brood, so they tend to move that honey up to over the brood. They store any nectar coming in that is more than needed for raising brood, up over the brood. Both of these activities will help to get them drawing wax up over the brood more quickly.

 

[Honey-4-All]

When adding new supers (no drawn out comb) just wax foundation, is their anything you can do too get them to draw out faster? I'm hoping they are able to get it drawn out and filled with honey. But, I don't know if that can happen in the same season????

The question is why do bees draw comb? Why are you wanting to confound their purpose for doing it? The simple answer is that doing so is their method of a storage system! For both food and home. If they have nothing coming in to store there is no need to build storage for what is not being gathered. To build comb for non storage is a waste of time? They do not do build on a peremptory basis. The fact that the activation of the wax glands is thought to be precipitated when the house bees reach a saturation level as living storage vessels means it ain't going to happen unless the flow is on as Ray said. Feed or wait!!~

 

[beedeetee]

You should be in the middle of the blackberry flow (from what I saw when I was down in the area last weekend) so if your hive is strong enough it shouldn't have a problem drawing comb quickly. I suspect when the blackberries fade, you will be done for the year. If this is their first year, you want to make sure that they have everything drawn in the winter boxes before you put honey supers on.

 

[Irmo]

I spray the foundation in each frame with 1 to 1 syrup to attract some of the bees. I have no idea if that helps, but that's what I do. A frame of brood will get bees up there too.

 

[juzzerbee]

I use pre-waxed plasticell but I still brush on my own beeswax as well. So, my point is that if you are already using wax foundation I think you are doing what would be most encouraging to get them drawing it out. I have also sprayed on a bit of 1:1 syrup along with a bit of honey b healthy when I first drew out my frames of plasticell. I am not sure if that is good or necessary for wax foundation though.
Would it be okay to swap an outer frame of drawn from the brood nest(1 with honey only)? juzzer

Irmo-Ha, you beat me to it! I guess I type too slow. Good response though!!