Hombre
Queen Bee
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2009
- Messages
- 2,814
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- West Midlands
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- Ten
I can see how Popz would really benefit.
I run one WBC in Hampshire and that hive had a 2 week head start over my cedar hives this spring.
I have seen wild comb built into a frame feeder but not when only an inch of stores had been comsumed. bees build comb usually starting with an anchorage point and hanging from it to draw comb downwards . Normally you would get a clue at such an early stage by finding rudimentary comb attached to qx/crown board . the only time I've seen any deviation from this pattern is when a container of cappings has been placed over a crown board for cleaning, this confuses the bees who then attempt to build comb horizontally.Well it was within an inch or so of the top to start with, then later I couldn't top it up without drowning the nest.
I thought they would eventually spread the nest out of the feeder onto the frames, but it never happened. They all died after about six weeks or so in the feeder.
I had to melt the wax out of the feeder when I re-commissioned the hive.
I wondered if the omf made them feel cold.
JC.
As regards bees starving because further feed was impossible to give!, should have been avoided by the simple expedient of feeding fondant/ candy.
Lesson to be learned " observe and react in a timely fashion".
John Wilkinson