Comb built between foundation!

[Norvic_chris]

Hi wise beeks (). Just found something I was surprised by -- I put on a second super with foundation last week. Just checked this evening and, although they've started drawing out the comb, they have also put much more effort into drawing out between the sheets of foundation (i.e., perpendicular to the frames, and joining the foundation together in at least 3 areas in the centres of the frames not the edges (unlike brace comb)). They have even filled this with nectar too. So that seemed a bit odd (and contrary to anything I've seen so far before). The foundation is from last year (i.e., it was briefly in a hive but did not get drawn out before I removed it, just lightly propolised at the edges) but is in good shape and not dried out. The first super is totally normal by the way. Any thoughts (should I just ignore and stop worrying?!).

 

[Finman]

(should I just ignore and stop worrying?!).

It is better to stop

This happens if you give 9 foundations in 10 frames box. I use that formulation in honey boxes but it must be first drawn ready 10/10. Then on frame off and bees lengten the cell walls.

 

[Norvic_chris]

Thanks Finman. There are 10 frames in a 10-frame box so not sure why they did this. I removed the extra comb but I will take your wise advice (as usual!) and stop worrying! Many thanks.

 

[sahtlinurk]

national takes 11, even 12 can be fitted in.

 

[Browntea]

I found some last week like this, it was drone comb

 

[Polyanwood]

I heard that you gt more honey per frame if you have drone comb rather than worker comb in the super.

 

[Tom Bick]

I found some last week like this, it was drone comb

Bees when building comb for honey will favour drone comb but not in every case as they think that they may need it for brood one day so it will be a mix of worker and drone.

When in a rush they build comb that looks neither one or the other and slightly non symmetrical with the incline of the cells back to the mid rib steeper than brood comb and perhaps better in holding plenty of nectar.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Putting in shallow drone foundation would make it less work for the bees to draw...yes?

 

[itma]

Thanks Finman. There are 10 frames in a 10-frame box so not sure why they did this. I removed the extra comb but I will take your wise advice (as usual!) and stop worrying! Many thanks.

They did it because the frames were too far apart.

You say that you have a National. (Note that Finman uses a different hive type)
Your "10 frame box" may have castellations for 10 frames, but that is a 'production' spacing - using drawn frames.
You may have better success getting the comb started drawing properly if you (at least temporarily) reduce the spacing by using 11-frame castellations - which will cost you about £2 for a pair. (T's "budget" ones fit all nat boxes, their std ones don't - and they are the same price.)

It might be that your foundation is old or dirty, or simply unattractive to the bees. The forum has sound advice on those scores.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Thanks Finman. There are 10 frames in a 10-frame box so not sure why they did this.

They do this sometimes - the gap is a bit wide. If you have a super without castellations you can put in a couple of extra frames; once they have been drawn a little, then the bees will cope with the wider spacing. Alternatively interleave foundation with drawn comb. Once it's sealed, extracted and cut back, you're OK.

 

[Norvic_chris]

Aha -- thanks all. The too-big-a-space answer seems logical. As Itma, Hebgb (and others) indicate, I have been guilty of presuming that the 10-frame castellations would give the correct spacing for the box (it's worked over the previous 3 or 4 years) -- I really should have known better. Thanks for the tip about using narrower spacing until the comb is drawn. I've actually got a super without castellations so I'll have a go with that. Silly of me, really, as I've currently got 12 frames in the brood box, quite happily!

 

[Finman]

A basic frame space is 35 mm. 10 frames take space 35 cm + edge gaps against wall. 0,5 +0,5 mm