Old comb

[peacoops]

How do you know when its time to replace comb? Is it a time thing or will it look manky?

 

[Anduril]

Some people replace sooner, but work on the basis of replacing a minimum of 3 frames per year.

 

[its.only.money]

… further… how do you do it for, say, frames in the centre of the brood box? Straight swap for undrawn frames?

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[Anduril]

… further… how do you do it for, say, frames in the centre of the brood box? Straight swap for undrawn frames?

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During the season you move the frames one position nearer to the end at each inspection, when they are at the end you can remove them.

 

[REDWOOD]

it's not always as easy as that if you have good queens that lay in nearly every frame, I find the best time to swap is in the spring by removing frames that was once occupied by winter stores. move the other frames into the centre and place the new ones outside and move them inwards during the season

 

[beeno]

it's not always as easy as that if you have good queens that lay in nearly every frame, I find the best time to swap is in the spring by removing frames that was once occupied by winter stores. move the other frames into the centre and place the new ones outside and move them inwards during the season

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you have a strong colony going into September you can put a frame of foundation in the middle at least once or twice.

 

[alfazer]

The thing that breaks my heart with removing old comb, is that it always seems to have lots of pollen in it too, which seems a waste of effort on the part of the bees.

Not sure if there's much I do about that when removing old comb, is there?

 

[Barbarian]

I have my hives "warm way" with a full width entrance.

I place the frame to be changed next to the entrance. Any brood on it is raised by the bees. My Qs do not lay in this first frame. Once the brood has gone, the frame goes above the crown board. By reducing the crown board hole to a 2 bee size, the bees move the stores down. Not sure what they do with the pollen.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Someone here said that they keep it until the sunlight doesn't come through.

I am told that the Danes change all combs, every year.

 

[Etton]

I have my hives "warm way" with a full width entrance.

I place the frame to be changed next to the entrance. Any brood on it is raised by the bees. My Qs do not lay in this first frame. Once the brood has gone, the frame goes above the crown board. By reducing the crown board hole to a 2 bee size, the bees move the stores down. Not sure what they do with the pollen.

Good point re the pollen as I have some black frames I have removed ready for melting down but with quite a bit of pollen. Its a pity to lose the pollen, unless I put the brood frames back which is the opposite of what was intended.

 

[For want of a better word]

Someone here said that they keep it until the sunlight doesn't come through.

I am told that the Danes change all combs, every year.

Is that because they have a massive bee disease problem?

Nos da

 

[Heather]

It is a hygiene thing. Bacteria will build up in frames and when they look 'manky' - time to throw.
Personally I do early Spring. When there is a little brood. A shook swarm gets rid of varroa that had migrated to the new brood. The bees start from scratch on new frames , enjoying a big syrup feed to assist them. All clean frames means disease is reduced to minimum.
I do every 2-3 years on a hive. But bees vary, and so does the state of the frames.