[phersbees]

In alabama we got a cold snap and couple days ago I cought a big swarm off a tree. Bigger then basketball. Well I checked to see how there doing a min ago. There balled up in the middle of the hive basicly one one frame the rest of the foundions have been pushed out of split bottom rail. Did thus happen because the cold or something stupid on my part.


I've got wired wax foundation. Wedge top split bottom frame

 

[Acebird]

Do you have enough room for the bees? Fix the foundation and add another box.

 

[G3farms]

Not sure what could have happened. Just push the foundation back in place and all is good again. Are these deep frames with cross wires?

 

[JRG13]

I bet they wanted to form a swarm cluster and the foundation got pushed out.

 

[Vance G]

The foundation was not securely fastened or it would not have fallen under the weight of the clustered bees. That is my guess.

 

[phersbees]

Do you have enough room for the bees? Fix the foundation and add another box.

There put in a deep and a med hive bodies 10 frames. I cross wired a couole of them while I was fixing. Its a mess the attached the foundations togeather. But they are balled around that one frame just like a swarm.

 

[Vance G]

Sooner or later you are going to need to fix that mess. Consider sliding the cluster all the way to one side of the box and letting them expand out into good sturdy combs if you have any or well secured foundation and eventually isolate the queen on frames instead of that ball of burr comb. After the brood emerges, replace it with frames.

 

[Brad Bee]

I can't say what happened to the foundation, but I will suggest that you don't open a newly housed swarm (or any hive unless it's an emergency) when the temps and wind was like it was today. I don't know how warm it got in Hanceville, but I'm about 40 minutes ENE of you and at noon it was 45 degrees and very windy. It's supposed to be back in the low 60's tomorrow.

 

[phersbees]

I put them in last thurs day got up to 55 acording to my gauge. About 2pm. Bees where flying but I was feeling my feeder when I seen them. I got a feeder with a med hive body over it. Never pulled theframe with the bees on it. But I fix the less stuck ones and crossed wired them. I guy in hollypond told me to do it today or it'd just get worse.

 

[Brad Bee]

You can't trust anybody from Hollypond. just kidding.

 

[odfrank]

Properly installed foundation does not fall out.

 

[phersbees]

Properly installed foundation does not fall out.

Must be from hollypond?? It did not FALL OUT..... it was pushed side ways.

 

[psfred]

Wired foundation always has a curve to it, although it will lie flat when first removed from the box. As the bees warm it up, the wires will re-exert their shape (curved from being on rolls as the foundation is made) and the foundation bows. Probably a combination of this and the desire of the bees to cluster tightly pulled it out.

Cross wire vertically wired foundation, or it will ALWAYS bow on you, worse if it is loose in the bottom bars. Side pins don't help much to control this, and it can lead to really messy warped comb if you don't cross wire.

Peter

 

[Acebird]

I cross wired a couole of them while I was fixing.

I gave up on split bottom frames because I had a couple of them bow away from the foundation and let it just flap away from the frame due to the stress in the hooks under the wedge. Foundation can also be short so the way I fixed mine was slide paper clips on the bottom (three or four)and have them extend between the bottom bars. Once the comb is drawn out none of it matters.

I think the right thing to do is pull the frames out and fix them. The sooner the better.