bees in hive roof

[Eaglerae]

Hi, I had swarm enter my spare hive two weeks ago. Checked them yesterday and they have built combs on the underside of the roof. Any suggestions?

 

[snelgrove]

Is there any frames with comb or foundation in your spare hive. ?

 

[Eyeman]

I would do a sort of Bailey comb exchange.
Move hive to one side
Take roof off and carefully turn over and put flat on original site with comb pointing skywards.
Take an empty super or brood box depending on the length if the wild comb and place inside the roof.
Place a small eke with entrance on the super and put a brood box on top with foundation then a crown board and new roof.
Bees will draw foundation and when queen starts to lay put a queen excluder under the eke.
The roof with wild comb can be removed after all brood has emerged and an OMF put in its place.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Novel solution, i am going to try that next time i get a clipped queen that has swarmed and built comb under an OMF

thanx Eyeman

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I would do a sort of Bailey comb exchange.
Move hive to one side
Take roof off and carefully turn over and put flat on original site with comb pointing skywards.
Take an empty super or brood box depending on the length if the wild comb and place inside the roof.
Place a small eke with entrance on the super and put a brood box on top with foundation then a crown board and new roof.
Bees will draw foundation and when queen starts to lay put a queen excluder under the eke.
The roof with wild comb can be removed after all brood has emerged and an OMF put in its place.

Novel solution, i am going to try that next time i get a clipped queen that has swarmed and built comb under an OMF

thanx Eyeman

It's what Seeley does with his bait hives if the swarms are well settled by the time they get to move them

 

[Obee1]

Wonder what the bees will make of upside down combs. let us know how it goes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It doesn't seem to bother them. I've seen it done very successfully. A rather elegant solution.

 

[Eaglerae]

Thank you for your resolution to my bees under the roof. I am afraid it can't work for me as the roof is not flat. Perhaps I can graft them onto a frame somehow. Yes there were frames with foundation in the hive which they chose to ignore.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not flat? Make it flat! Oh, and fit a crown board,or a proper one, in future. If there was a leaky crown board, it is likely only a cast swarm? She may not have been laying so very much?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thank you for your resolution to my bees under the roof. I am afraid it can't work for me as the roof is not flat.

two bricks placed parallel on the floor - roof placed with ridge in between. Simple engineering - think boats on launching trailers - ships in dry dock or yachts stored on the hard

 

[Eyeman]

two bricks placed parallel on the floor - roof placed with ridge in between. Simple engineering - think boats on launching trailers - ships in dry dock or yachts stored on the hard

 

[Eaglerae]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Will let you know what happens. Best wishes.