Drawing comb out

[AndreaW]

Hi
Had my bees for a few months now so am very much a newbie.

I had them from a 4 frame nuc and they have built up well, drawn out comb in the brood frames and filled with brood/ stores. Gave them a super and had to encourage them with feeding to draw out the comb there, which at the last check they had almost done .

My question is, if on the next inspection, they have drawn out the comb in the super, is it worth my while getting another brood box and getting them to draw out surplus comb in that to help with doing artificial swarms next year. Appreciate I need to get them to fill the super with stores first but have read somewhere that at the later stages of the summer drawing out foundation is a useful employment for the little darlings.

Any thoughts - if worthwhile I will order the additional hive (going to for next year anyway but if it will be handy before......).

 

[drstitson]

no

too late now for them to be wasting energy drawing comb. they need to be storing for winter.

also - the whole point about swarms is that they are good at drawing comb so you give foundation and feed.

 

[AndreaW]

no

too late now for them to be wasting energy drawing comb. they need to be storing for winter.

also - the whole point about swarms is that they are good at drawing comb so you give foundation and feed.

Okay brilliant willl just concentrate on the feeding bit. I was more thinking if I had to do an artificial swarm and could then have some foundation with comb already drawn out in a brood box when I added a few frames.

Right feed feed feed here we come thanks for help .

 

[oliver90owner]

See the recent post by White Park Cattle for a well drawn filled and capped frame

http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=13189

If you have the ability to extract brood frames, probably the best time to get spare comb drawn like that in the above link is on a good OSR flow - just be sure to extract it before it crystallises!

Also, as DrS points out, an artificially swarmed hive will build their own comb in double quick time. They don't usually need much feed either(ther eis usually a super over the brood anyway! And a large prime swarm is even better for drawing comb.

Spare drawn comb is a useful item for early spring build up (remove frames of stores and substitute drawn comb), for helping nucs on their way and at other times when drawn comb is more beneficial to the bees than foundation. The downside is that it needs looking after carefully as it is a valuable commodity!

RAB

 

[Skyhook]

Okay brilliant willl just concentrate on the feeding bit. I was more thinking if I had to do an artificial swarm and could then have some foundation with comb already drawn out in a brood box when I added a few frames.

Right feed feed feed here we come thanks for help .

The same applies to artificial swarms and shook swarms- they love drawing foundation. So yes, make sure you're on top of varroa control, other than that start thinking about having them in good fettle for winter.

 

[AndreaW]

Okay so at present I have one super on that I have been occasionally giving them sugar syrup for to help them draw out the foundation - they weren't drawing out the comb before that.
I need to inspect tomorrow, but just over a week ago they had probably drawn it out on 80% of the frames but only partially on each frame - frames are cold way. I am hoping they will have drawn out more now.

I was going to leave that super on as stores for the winter, does that make sense? Also when should I put the apiguard on and mouse guards (presuming this is when I close them up for winter).

Will this be all I need to do before I close them up for winter, other than inspections and when do I close them up for winter?

Still so much to learn, have had to miss a few BKA meetings so feel out of touch at moment

 

[Skyhook]

Apiguard now-ish. You will need to take the super off otherwise you will have thymolated super frames; plus too much air space for the vapour. You will need a 40mm rim/eke to sit on the brood box to make space for the apiguard (buy or make- lots about it on here somewhere). Put varroa tray in and fill any holes, reduce entrance down to about 2-3", then start treatment following instructions carefully. After treatment, feed heavily for winter- you can put the super back on at this stage or not, up to you. Mouseguards when it gets cold.

 

[AndreaW]

Apiguard now-ish. You will need to take the super off otherwise you will have thymolated super frames; plus too much air space for the vapour. You will need a 40mm rim/eke to sit on the brood box to make space for the apiguard (buy or make- lots about it on here somewhere). Put varroa tray in and fill any holes, reduce entrance down to about 2-3", then start treatment following instructions carefully. After treatment, feed heavily for winter- you can put the super back on at this stage or not, up to you. Mouseguards when it gets cold.

Thanks Skyhook, just waiting on my eke for apiguard to arrive in post hopefully tomorrow