I hope I've done the right thing

[pigbreeder]

I was told to make a half inch tall eke to make room for the Apigard. I did and replaced the Apigard with new as directed after 2 weeks. The problem is that the bees filled the space in the little eke with brace comb and filled that with honey. I took the Apigard out yesterday and scraped the comb off the underside of the crown board and the top of the frames. I had been feeding syrup from a feeder in an empty super on top of the crown board. So there was a shallow bowl half full of scraped off comb and honey. I've put that on top of the crown board and I'm hoping that the bees will rescue the honey they've made and put it inside.
Was that the right thing to do or should I have taken the comb and honey away and disposed of it.

 

[REDWOOD]

It sounds like they already have a hive full of stores, watch they don't start building brace comb in the empty super, you would have been better to putting the comb in a feeder

 

[itma]

Feeding while the eke is in place all too often results in comb-building in the empty space.

First thing is - what is the current state of stores in the hive? Are they already rammed full? If so, they really don't need any more! Therefore in that case the thing to do is to get the bees away from the comb (harder the more comb there is). A clearing board can be used, and then the comb stuck in an ice cream tub in the freezer until needed.

Feeding it back is most easily done in a rapid-type feeder minus its central cone cover. This allows bees access to the whole of the inside of the feeder. Problem comes if they have no room down below - they'll just build more comb inside the feeder!

Also, if their brood box is crammed full of stores (its been a good year for Ivy - again!) you could put a shallow box with frames (drawn or undrawn) under the brood box (no QX) to give them some extra space to work with. Search the forum for the word 'nadir' - its popular this year! Oh, and stop feeding if they have no room to store anymore!

 

[drex]

pigbreeder - no idea what size hives you have,nor how much stores, but for me if they build comb in any space you give them, that tells me they need more space. I agree with itma, bung a box under the BB

 

[pigbreeder]

The hives are Nationals, I had a quick look this morning and the bees are taking the honey from the brace comb fragments. One is a brood and a half and looks to have some space left the other is single brood so it looks as though I should add a super to it. I guessing that the bees won't re-use the wax from the brace fragments so I'll take those out when they've done.

 

[itma]

... the other is single brood so it looks as though I should add a super to it. …

"Super" implies a shallow box ABOVE the brood.
Too late in the year to add that.
You should provide the additional shallow box UNDER the brood. (The word for which is "nadir".)

 

[pigbreeder]

Thank you yes I will do that - I am still getting used to all these new terms.