[Kholmes]

Is it common for the bees to build comb between frames?

 

[JWPalmer]

If you are talking about the links between the face of the comb on one frame and another, yes. Use your hive tool to cut through it before trying to lift the frame out. Same goes for them attaching the outer frames to the sides of the box.

 

[Michael Bush]

http://bushfarms.com/beesfaqs.htm#messedupcomb

 

[Bane]

So new here and seeing as how this is a similar topic, I checked my new hives today. Hive Purple is building nice straight comb and quite content doing it. Red hive is building, but theirs are not nearly as straight or neat and appeared to have quite a bit of cross combing. Not just one or two little bridges but quite heavy. Without seriously disturbing the bee activity I pulled the empty outer frame in both hives reducing it to seven frames in the brood box on both hives just to be safe. My reasoning is it appeared that I had the frames too close together and with eight frames plus the feeder it seemed rather crowded in there as well.I can try and get pictures tomorrow, but I want to let them settle back down before disturbing them any more.

 

[JWPalmer]

Bane, as soon as you can, put that other frame back in. I assume you have a two frame wide feeder and should have eight frames in a ten frame box. Brood frames need to be tightly pressed together with any space split between the outside edges of the box. Your problem is only going to get worse if there is too much space between the frames.

 

[Bane]

FYI, I did so right after I read your post. Just been hell busy the last week and discovered much to my newb chagrin that a queen had gone AWOL . . ugh. simple inexperienced bumbling. I was able to procure a replacement thanks to my excessively helpful bee shop and hopefully got the job done right this time. The other hive is BOOMING and that was what tipped me off. I installed them at the same time, the development was similarly paced then I realized one hive had capped cells, and the other didn't. Nectar cells, pollen, lots of busy bees but nothing capped and no eggs or queen in sight. The purple hive is WOW . . . exemplary from what my meagre experience base can see fully drawn frames, some drone cells, lots and lots of capped cells and a complete different vibration level of activity. So I successfully added the second hive body this weekend to it as well, and swapped a drawn out frame with a good mix of cell types into the upper body as well.