Comb building question

[smarty]

It has been shown that a light 1:1, or even lighter syrup, is optimal for comb building. However, I have been taught that when bees swarm they feast on honey before departing the hive and use this to quickly build comb upon arrival in their new hive. Honey is a lot thicker than a light syrup or fresh nectar. Could the bees maybe feast on nectar rather than honey, or could they dilute the honey with water before leaving the hive? Is there any research or observation on this? Thank you.

 

[drex]

Honey is too viscous for bees to suck it up. They always have to dilute it anyway, whatever they are intending to do with it

 

[Antipodes]

Honey is too viscous for bees to suck it up. They always have to dilute it anyway, whatever they are intending to do with it

They can suck up honey.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find that bees, when they want to draw comb, don't give a fig whether you feed them 2:1, invert (heavier than 2:1) 1:1 or any other strength - they will draw it at the same rate

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Yes. Randy Oliver's simple test showed the bees taking 2:1 syrup at half the speed of 1:1. In other words, the same rate of consumption of sugar.

 

[Antipodes]

It has been shown that a light 1:1, or even lighter syrup, is optimal for comb building. However, I have been taught that when bees swarm they feast on honey before departing the hive and use this to quickly build comb upon arrival in their new hive. Honey is a lot thicker than a light syrup or fresh nectar. Could the bees maybe feast on nectar rather than honey, or could they dilute the honey with water before leaving the hive? Is there any research or observation on this? Thank you.

According to a previous topic on this forum, a "2kg swarm has about 0,8 kg honey". So that gives some idea on conversion to comb building and perhaps re-storing it.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/how-much-honey-do-you-lose-with-a-swarm.25323/
I can't find any research information yet on what stage they dilute it.

 

[magor]

mid-age bees(older than nurse bees and younger than foragers) are the bees draw comb those bees ussually waiting on dance areas to receive the nectar from foragers and then store it , if they cant find empty cell for that then they hold it(prologue/abdomn/belly) and that drivers them produce wax/comb and those bees leave with swarm and them ready for draw comb in new home and also cause them not yet foragers them can easily become nurse bees again and so nurse the youngs but and become forages also if need..........bees are economy and resilience/pliancy instects

as for syrup since i found this forum , always no matter when or what, making it ''2/3''(sugar/syrup)

 

[jarmo henttu]

It has been shown that a light 1:1, or even lighter syrup, is optimal for comb building. However, I have been taught that when bees swarm they feast on honey before departing the hive and use this to quickly build comb upon arrival in their new hive. Honey is a lot thicker than a light syrup or fresh nectar. Could the bees maybe feast on nectar rather than honey, or could they dilute the honey with water before leaving the hive? Is there any research or observation on this? Thank you.

I do not believe that diluting story.
Bees take food to they journey and that diluting is agains that food idea. Food store lasts for 3 days.

 

[Antipodes]

I do not believe that diluting story.
Bees take food to they journey and that diluting is agains that food idea. Food store lasts for 3 days.

Do you know what form the food is in when they leave in a swarm? Not fully cured honey perhaps?

 

[jarmo henttu]

Do you know what form the food is in when they leave in a swarm? Not fully cured honey perhaps?

I have not met that answer to that question... and where we need that answer, because we have no ifluence on that phenomenon.

There is 2 ways to add comb buildin or 3

Give a thick foundation to the colony. 100 g/ langstroth frame. Bees can draw comb walls to half way during 24 hours and the weight of frame does not rise.

When I have given to the swarm 6 kg sugar per langstroth box, bees do not store the syrup.

When I want to clean with crystallized honey frames the swarm, I give 3 full honey frames to the swarm with laying queen, and the rest frames foundations, after 7 days honey has vanished and 3 ready combs are filled with larvae and foundations are drawn ready.

When a swarm leaves the hive, they have honey belly full of honey, which is one third out of swarm's weight.

 

[Garry R]

Give a thick foundation to the colony. 100 g/ langstroth frame. Bees can draw comb walls to half way during 24 hours and the weight of frame does not rise.

Certainly my home made foundation is considerably thicker than the commercially bought stuff and the bees draw it out very quickly. I have a friend who put a starter strip of coloured wax into a colony and there was no clear line between the coloured and the natural - a slow gradation indicating that the bees certainly move wax about so I guess for the thick foundation it means they have to produce less wax meaning that there is less work (or the same work rate) to draw the foundation faster.

 

[jarmo henttu]

t so I guess for the thick foundation it means they have to produce less wax meaning that there is less work (or the same work rate) to draw the foundation faster.

When the bees make 1 kg wax, they consume honey 6-8 kg. It is needed to make ready 10 foundations of Langstrot.

10 foundation is 1 kg wax. Without foundations it takes 15 kg honey to draw langstroth combs.