Newbie - havent looked in on them in 2weeks

[BeeJayBee]

heard quite a few times that it takes the equivalent of 6-8lbs honey to produce 1lb wax, but don't know how much a brood frame of wax would weigh?? anyone?

I've wondered the same too.

I always reckon on 9lbs of honey for 1lb of wax, so that means a lot more in syrup plus of course pollen.

Wax in a brood frame with foundation there already? - very little 1/2oz

That's useful, thanks.

I'm guessing that means that to wax a brood frame of foundation the bees would use the equivalent of about 4 1/2 ounces of honey? (ratio of 9:1) For ten frames of brood foundation that would be about 2 3/4 lbs (45 ounces). Or has my Maths let me down?

 

[user 6228]

I was going to ask the same question as the op today as I am in a similar position.

...I'm surprised that there hasn't been more scientific study on the heat transfer through the hive, but perhaps I've not found it yet.

...

working on it

 

[margob99]

Sorry to move away from the interesting question of heat transfer in the hive. But as a newbie I'm interested in the different rates of nuc - hive growth described here.

This is because I got a 6-frame nuc about a month ago, and they have absolutely roared ahead; drawn the additional 5 frames of foundation and filled them (too much brood, not enough stores, but my mistake perhaps for too much feeding, which as now stopped). Took out the dummy frame and squeeeeeezed in a 12th frame of foundation, which they duly filled with stores in a week, the darlings.

Added a super of crappy old comb, to make a brood-and-a-half, and in a week they had fixed it all up, and were filling with stores; brood yet to be seen.

This - while I've had second hole open in crownboard, and entrance block removed. They seem to have coped fine with all the extra holes. Although they are drawing absurd amounts of comb at the bottom of the frames in the BB (the frames are the correct BB ones), and even above the crownboard, so maybe I'll try closing it for a bit. And now that I've removed the feeder, close the second hole too.

Most interesting - all the differences between our experiences ...

 

[Into the lions den]

Wax in a brood frame with foundation there already? - very little 1/2oz?

Was over in Denmark earlier this year researching the frame washing/sterilising setups and co-operatives there. They reckon the wax multiplier, if you have an efficient recovery system and use standard thickness brood wax ( medium by our UK standards) is 1.25 to 1.35. Thus if you have 8 sheets to the pound.............so 2oz a sheet...........you are pretty accurate in the half oz assertion. 2ox x 1.25 is 2.5 oz.......so half an ounce added by the bees. They have very long term statisitics to demonstrate this.

 

[Meg]

Thanks Murray,

Nice to have an estimate backed up by fact.

Margo, a good strong nuc should make good progress and will not worry about the gaps so much you are right. However, it also depends on where you are and the local climate and forage. You may have been doubly lucky with your purchase and where you live!

Meg

 

[aberreef]

Sorry to move away from the interesting question of heat transfer in the hive. But as a newbie I'm interested in the different rates of nuc - hive growth described here.

This is because I got a 6-frame nuc about a month ago, and they have absolutely roared ahead; drawn the additional 5 frames of foundation and filled them (too much brood, not enough stores, but my mistake perhaps for too much feeding, which as now stopped). Took out the dummy frame and squeeeeeezed in a 12th frame of foundation, which they duly filled with stores in a week, the darlings.

Added a super of crappy old comb, to make a brood-and-a-half, and in a week they had fixed it all up, and were filling with stores; brood yet to be seen.

This - while I've had second hole open in crownboard, and entrance block removed. They seem to have coped fine with all the extra holes. Although they are drawing absurd amounts of comb at the bottom of the frames in the BB (the frames are the correct BB ones), and even above the crownboard, so maybe I'll try closing it for a bit. And now that I've removed the feeder, close the second hole too.

Most interesting - all the differences between our experiences ...

Sounds like they are doing realy well Maybe need a second super though

 

[Beeyonce]

Am quite new (only second post) and so for me this has raised a question about the crownboard I'd never even considered. As a general rule I leave the crownboard holes open; is this bad practice? Sounds as if it might be, although I do have full-size colonies.

 

[jackbee]

Am quite new (only second post) and so for me this has raised a question about the crownboard I'd never even considered. As a general rule I leave the crownboard holes open; is this bad practice? Sounds as if it might be, although I do have full-size colonies.

do you get comb in the void above?

 

[Beeyonce]

No, I've never seen comb in the void above; does this mean they're quite warm as they'd fill it if they weren't?

I'd always thought that as the roof goes right on top temperature wouldn't be a consideration but of course I suppose there is still a bit of a gap.

 

[aberreef]

I suppose it would depend on the depth of the gap Maybe if it's only a bee space deep they won't build wild comb?