Partial comb change

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
If there was nothing in those combs, and they were black and manky, of course you have done the right thing taking them out and replacing them. If what you had available was foundation then you have also done the right thing in feeding to help them draw it out, given how weak they are.

I think most of the complaints have been due to a misunderstanding about what you meant by a Bailey Change, and also because you mentioned "shook swarm" without an appropriate trigger warning :) (For the record I don't do shook swarms either!)

There may have been (or still be) a health issue with the hive, given the size of them, but that's another question.

Thank you Boston Bees for your correct interpretation of my actions, sometimes this forum makes one feel alone rather than part of a community.

I expect this will be my last post as I have had the temerity to question a moderators opinions and a ban is probably coming imminently, c'est la vie. Thank you again for your support.
 
Oh yes they do ...it's a dreadful thing to inflict on your bees ... and I know that people do it ... goodness only knows why .... I have frames that are older than my socks and still in use ! Bees don't mind so I don't either ...

How do you know your bees don't mind? They may be struggling on despite your reluctance to keep their habitat in good, clean condition. You may be confusing surviving with thriving.
 
And your beekeeping is absolutely perfect I suppose? Your bees never swarm, all your colonies survive the winter, you get enough honey to feed the starving in Africa, and your bees give their dead a State Funeral while the rest of us try to get by without your vast knowledge and omnipotence, tipping our hats as your farts pass us by. You are a moderator, perhaps you should be less judgemental with other people's beekeeping habits. We (I) can only do what we think is right in the situation we (I) find ourselves. Comments implying that we lesser mortals are just fools when all we are doing is our best to try and pass our mistakes and successes onto other beekeepers in the hope that they will learn from them. What we don't need is a condescending diatribe about how pathetic we all are. TBH, you are a disgrace to your position on this forum and that, as you so gracefully put it, is IMHO!
You're not happy here are you?
 
Can see the logic of a shook swarm for EFB (leave that to the bee inspector) and also for very high levels of varroa when there is no other option ie mid summer, v hot and formic acid would potentially do harm to the queen / colony.
Haven’t done one on my my colonies, though when I took my Honeybee health practical assessment last year I was asked to do one on my assessors colony. She said I could stop after a couple of frames!
I prefer to keep on top of comb changes gradually or in a more gentle way via Bailey comb change, if I have to do a whole scale change.
However I do hear many experienced beekeepers saying how good they are, how they give the bees a new lease of life and how they catch up in no time. So clearly they’ve tried it and have a few chickens to feed.
Worth trying, not for the sake of it, but for a good reason (black old combs and not much brood) , then best learn from it.
 
How do you know your bees don't mind? They may be struggling on despite your reluctance to keep their habitat in good, clean condition. You may be confusing surviving with thriving.
Bees are the cleanest organisms on the planet ... and I resent the inference that I fail to maintain them in good condition ... I swap out combs as and when required ... but I do it in a gentle way not by banging a whole load of new frames and foundation into a hive simply because the beekeeper believes frames and combs should be changed every year ot two ... as some of the books prescribe ... what do you think the bees have been doing in the wild for aeons ... not every feral colony is cleaned out by mice and wax moth every time it becomes vacant...
 
With supers on? If take off could it trigger swarm impulse as more congested? Guess could add spare supers with foundation...What do you do?
Any hive that has sufficient varroa that anybody might suggest a shook swarm must be in deep trouble. Move hive aside lift supers onto new floor in its place. Vape brood. Reassemble hive as before. Repeat x 2
 
Any hive that has sufficient varroa that anybody might suggest a shook swarm must be in deep trouble.
And a 'shook swarm' would probably be the final nail in the coffin.
Where do these people get these outrageous ideas from?
 

Can see the logic of a shook swarm for EFB (leave that to the bee inspector) and also for very high levels of varroa when there is no other option ie mid summer, v hot and formic acid would potentially do harm to the queen / colony.
Haven’t done one on my my colonies, though when I took my Honeybee health practical assessment last year I was asked to do one on my assessors colony. She said I could stop after a couple of frames!
I prefer to keep on top of comb changes gradually or in a more gentle way via Bailey comb change, if I have to do a whole scale change.
However I do hear many experienced beekeepers saying how good they are, how they give the bees a new lease of life and how they catch up in no time. So clearly they’ve tried it and have a few chickens to feed.
Worth trying, not for the sake of it, but for a good reason (black old combs and not much brood) , then best learn from it.
I thought this talk was interesting. Around the 20 minute mark, Kirsty talks about the treatment success of methods of dealing with EFB.

Actually, around the 7 minute 50 mark she talks about the history of treatments, which I found the most interesting.
 
Last edited:
And a 'shook swarm' would probably be the final nail in the coffin.
Where do these people get these outrageous ideas from?
The books and the muppets before who have done it before them ... and pass off the stupidity of doing it as something that is good for a colony of bees. Yes, the bees will build out comb .. often very quickly, because they have to ... but at what cost ? All that brood ... all that wax - wasted. Stupid idea ...
 
I follow Into The Lions Den's example and get my new combs drawn out when I am winter feeding. Far less hassle, ideal time and no interruption to honey flows etc.
 
The books and the muppets before who have done it before them ... and pass off the stupidity of doing it as something that is good for a colony of bees. Yes, the bees will build out comb .. often very quickly, because they have to ... but at what cost ? All that brood ... all that wax - wasted. Stupid idea ...

Tis a philosophy promoted time after time by my LBKA for no other reason except books and the British beekilling association recommend it as well in their flawed teaching.
 
I like to intersperse starter strips every other comb in a BB used as a super, I am as an amateur beek am not relying on hem as a major income so willing to for go some honey.
 


I thought this talk was interesting. Around the 20 minute mark, Kirsty talks about the treatment success of methods of dealing with EFB.

Actually, around the 7 minute 50 mark she talks about the history of treatments, which I found the most interesting.

Thanks, Kirsty came to our association and gave a talk & we followed up with a visit to the NBU at York. She showed up combs of EFB / EFB, Asian hornets. V interesting. Really bright, lovely person.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top