Comb honey thread.

[Poly Hive]

When I was running a few colonies more than I play with now I used to produce "Ross Rounds or Cobana" sections and cut comb honey as well.

The Sections required a powerful colony esp for heather work.

Cut comb can be much easier if you insert three or four marked frames into normal supers. I marked my frames using an indelible marker with a hefty CC and come extraction time they were just put to one side for cutting up. I should add that I intersperce the CC with a drawn comb between them. Makes it easier for the bees not to have a massive empty space to deal with.

So that is cut comb the easy way.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Never gave that a thought,it's a good way to experiment if you have never done cut comb before.

Thanks PH..

 

[Poly Hive]

See addition.

PH

 

[buzz lightyear]

cut comb

took 3 strong colonies to the heather, all on starter strips only. Drew filled and capped in a week, wow!
Wish I had taken the other 6 that went to Sunflowers, what a waste of time that was.

 

[Hombre]

Did you put comb frames in castellated supers?

If so 9, 10 or 11 pitch in a National super?

I might just try a couple of frames - you have inspired me; thank you.

 

[Poly Hive]

CC is best produced in Manley frames for the thickness of comb.

what the old timers did with the tin spacers was to unfold the ends so as to widen the gap to more like Manley.

I have never been a fan of starter strips as it leaves a huge gap that the bees may well be inclined to use in a rather different way to that that the beekeepr intends...... Be warned.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hombre..if you use castellated then ten spacing will give you the correct thickness for cut comb to perfectly fill the half pound cc containers.

 

[Frisbee]

Hombre..if you use castellated then ten spacing will give you the correct thickness for cut comb to perfectly fill the half pound cc containers.

A useful answer for me too as I have been asked to produce some cut comb this year.

Frisbee

 

[Hombre]

Thank you Poly Hive and Hivemaker you seem to have ticked all the boxes. Very useful.

 

[ainsie]

Hi Hivemaker, 10 frames in a super for cut comb, thats good to know, am I right in thinking 10 is the minimum you can go to get foundation drawn out properly? Cheers Ainsie.

 

[VEG]

Someone i know uses either 8 or 9 in supers not sure which.

Sorry just realised this is for cut comb the above are used wired.

 

[Hombre]

As a rule, I believe that 10 slot in a National is the minimum number for starting, but when you have drawn comb you can take them down to 9 or even 8, but I'm not sure how the consistency stands up at 8.

I would imagine that by alternating drawn comb with foundation you could use 9 slot to get four frames of foundation drawn, although the bees would probably prefer the drawn and ignore the foundation, so probably best to use 10 slot and draw your frames.

= = =

Remember what Hivemaker said about 10 slot for producing the correct weight for 1/2lb cut comb containers. Or Manly as Poly Hive mentioned.