Do you change your comb regularly?

[Finman]

.
Combs do not get old evenly or according date. You must change their place in brood area that every corner get dark. Otherwise you may have a comb where upper part of centre is dark and half is untouched.

You put foundation in early summer and late summer, even in autumn. They are differently used.

 

[Poly Hive]

If changing combs, not foundation please note as after foundation is drawn out it is a comb, every other year or what ever time period was useful in controlling disease then it would be practised as standard.

I cannot see any benefit to the colony in introducing such a practice due to the consequential loss of honey production as Finman so rightly points out and the added stress of the work load to the bees.

Not to mention the added expense.

PH

 

[Mission]

Just a quick question? If the bees realise they have new foundation to draw on new frames, does this lower the tendancy towards swarming???

In therory the bees must think they have additional room as they are building comb? Opinions anyone???

 

[jimbeekeeper]

That was one of my thoughts.

plus it keeps the little madam's busy making drawing out the foundation.

 

[Finman]

..., every other year or what ever time period was useful in controlling disease .

Foundation drawing has nothing to do in controlling diseases.

I let them draw 1-1,5 boxes per hive new foundations every year.
A lot of combs will be ruined and brood combs get old.

Of course if I have ABF in the hive, I destroy combs and give them new combs. It is very expencive job. And after winter many comb have got mold or nosema hive has painted combs with poo.

 

[Poly Hive]

Clarifed comment

Not what I said Finman.

If changing combs, not foundation please note as after foundation is drawn out it is a comb, every other year or what ever time period was useful in controlling disease then it would be practised as standard.

Drop the foundation bit... If changing combs was useful in controlling disease then it would be practised as standard. Meaning it's not so why bother?

Mission? Giving bees wax building work to do is good, it builds your stock of combs and to a small degree it may help control swarming. Please note carefully, small and may.

I like Manley frames in the sups for that very reason, I cut them back to the top and bottom bars and thus there is a load of wax building to be done in the sups when they go back on.

PH

 

[Brian Bush]

Comb Exchange

Can someone explain a comb exchange procedure, in simple terms, for me. I want to move some of my hives of commercial brood boxes onto 14X12 if possible.

 

[user 382]

Can someone explain a comb exchange procedure, in simple terms, for me. I want to move some of my hives of commercial brood boxes onto 14X12 if possible.

The Bailey comb exchange method should do what you want. Basically, in the spring you:

1. Replace frames of stores from wither side of the main area of brood with dummy boards.
2. Place your 14x12 box on top with the same number of frames of foundation as frames of brood below. Place dummy boards either side of these.
3. Replace the crown board and feed a spring syrup feed.
4. When the foundation is drawn out, place the queen up top and a queen excluder between the two boxes.
5. Wait for the brood down below to hatch then remove the bottom box.

​

If the commercial and 14x12 brood boxes don't fit over one another, cut a piece of ply to close up the gaps.

Steve

 

[David P]

I am planning on changing my standard brood frames for 14" x 12" this year. I notice that thornes have now started doing a conversion kit for just this purpose. Has anyone used this and be in a position to recommend or otherwise

http://www.thorne.co.uk/news/newspage23.htm

David

 

[BKF Admin]

Could I use the Bailey method to fill up an empty Langstroth hive by using a piece of ply between a bottom national brood box and an empty Langstroth box on top full of foundation?

Langstroth roof
Langstroth brood box(foundation)
ply cut to size
National brood box(full of brood)
National floor

 

[user 382]

Hi Admin,

Should work OK. Why do you want do that though? Are you moving over to Langstroth boxes? Also, it doesn't have to be ply between the boxes - it's can be less wasteful (although a little bulkier) to just nail or screw some pieces of timber together to suit.

Steve

 

[BKF Admin]

Hi Steve,I have one langstroth box that is empty for a friend who wants to start up with a Lang.