Comb Honey

[castanea]

Hi
I would like to try making comb honey? what is the best way forward.
Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Either starter strips or thin unwired foundation in your supers, put it on when a good flow starts and let the bees do the rest

 

[DerbyBee]

I put a blank frame between two frames of foundation ie every other frame no foundation

 

[biglongdarren]

I used to use the thin unwired foundation but found they do every bit as good with starter strips, make sure the hives are nice and level too.

Darren

 

[snelgrove]

I use stater strips that is a full piece of thin super foundation cutinto 3. The two centre frames have one full piece of foundation cut diagonally. This allow the bees easy acess to climb up to the top of the super to draw wax. I only use cut comb on the heather. To much rape about, cut comb ends up like slabs of concrete.

 

[Nakedapiarist]

I did a couple of supers this using starter strips. One problem I did find is that one of the hives turned the frames into some sort of intricate 3d jigsaw making them very hard to remove. I got round this by pressing the comb back into line as it was being drawn until the bees got the hint.

Whilst we're on the subject - frames that weren't capped and I've left on - still ok for cut comb next year or will they be manky and horrible and need replacing?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Whilst we're on the subject - frames that weren't capped and I've left on - still ok for cut comb next year or will they be manky and horrible and need replacing?

In my experience they get dirty and hard. You can still spin them though; just carefully.
My cut comb is drawn straight and neatly if starter strips are alternated with foundation

 

[drex]

That is the key, learned the hard way by all with TBh's. Provided they are working between two flat planes (like end wall and sheet of foundation, or two sheets of foundation, or two already drawn combs, they will usually build the comb straight.

 

[Jimy Dee]

I put empty supers filled with nothing but empty frames. The bees build naturally which can be all over the place, but I simply cut the combs out and put the pieces into zip-lock bags where they keep perfectly. I eat the whole lot during the coming 12 months. No such thing as the "correct" way when it comes to honey. Each to their own.