Please explain the process of returning emptied wet comb for the bees to clean

[fiat500bee]

I've seen it described (if I have picked this up correctly) that you place the frame above a crownboard which has a hole drilled small enough to allow only one bee at a time to pass through. Have I got this right and what is the principle behind the procedure please? Would that be one frame at a time or a box-full, hanging normally? I'm assuming a precaution against robbing?

It's not something I really need to worry about just now but obviously a simple thing that I need sorted in my head.

 

[enrico]

I've seen it described (if I have picked this up correctly) that you place the frame above a crownboard which has a hole drilled small enough to allow only one bee at a time to pass through. Have I got this right and what is the principle behind the procedure please? Would that be one frame at a time or a box-full, hanging normally? I'm assuming a precaution against robbing?

It's not something I really need to worry about just now but obviously a simple thing that I need sorted in my head.

Crown board, block any large holes to make a small one, I then put an eke on but not absolutely necessary. Then the box of wet frames. Then another crown board and the roof. The bees do not see this as part of the hive and Rob it out. Simple as that. Put it on in the evening prevents the bees getting into a robbing frenzy on other hives! Doesn't always happen but worth remembering!
E

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Thanks Enrico, I did this on one hive yesterday and wondered if I’d done right. Dani made reference to using a cd to provide the hole. I hope my lot like Cheryl Crow because that’s what they got!
The operation was made very unpleasant by the number of wasps trying to get into the hive. It’s a big problem here despite my killing two wasp nests.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Enrico, I did this on one hive yesterday and wondered if I’d done right. Dani made reference to using a cd to provide the hole. I hope my lot like Cheryl Crow because that’s what they got!
The operation was made very unpleasant by the number of wasps trying to get into the hive. It’s a big problem here despite my killing two wasp nests.

CD works if you have nothing else but I think an even smaller hole is better.
I always put these wet supers on in the evening when no wasps or bees about.
Sometimes an empty super between the two helps.
Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. The bees ignore it or start filling it up.
Putting a super to clean underneath always works but is dangerous at the moment. Maybe best done once ivy is in full use?

 

[enrico]

Thanks Enrico, I did this on one hive yesterday and wondered if I’d done right. Dani made reference to using a cd to provide the hole. I hope my lot like Cheryl Crow because that’s what they got!
The operation was made very unpleasant by the number of wasps trying to get into the hive. It’s a big problem here despite my killing two wasp nests.

Look at my thread on wasp entrances. A couple of good ideas on there.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/E

 

[hemo]

I simply leave a small gap (about 2 bee space ) on the CB feed hole for access.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I simply leave a small gap (about 2 bee space ) on the CB feed hole for access.

Thanks Hemo and Dani for your comments.
I’ll brave the wasps, relieve them of Cheryl (!) and make a smaller hole if it stops raining.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Look at my thread on wasp entrances. A couple of good ideas on there.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/E

Hi Enrico, I’ve got tunnels fitted - it was wasps flying around me trying to get into the hive when the roof was off that was the issue. Just SOO many of them this year. Just invested in two Waspbanes but don’t tell Karol

 

[Erichalfbee]

I took a super off the other day and suddenly there were bees fighting all over it. Time to take supers off when the bees are all home.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I took a super off the other day and suddenly there were bees fighting all over it. Time to take supers off when the bees are all home.

You mean you had super with honey in it??
Rock on!

 

[Erichalfbee]

You mean you had super with honey in it??
Rock on!

I have had a horrid year.
It started well as we had a cracking early spring and I got some dandelion honey
I had two splits fail to requeen and one developed laying workers. One hive is only just ticking over and produced nothing but enough for itself.
I killed the queen in a Demaree but they managed to make another in the end. I Baileyed one colony onto a 14x12 configuration so that has used a lot of honey and I made a nuc up for a fancy queen. A swarm arrived at the end of may and they have given me a whole super.
So out of seven boxes of bees I have 100lb of honey. Good job they cancelled Conwy honey fair this year!

 

[pfbee]

Putting a super to clean underneath always works but is dangerous at the moment. Maybe best done once ivy is in full use?

Why dangerous? Because they'd fill it rather than empty it you mean?

 

[E&MBees]

Why dangerous? Because they'd fill it rather than empty it you mean?

It may be because of wasps and robbing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why dangerous? Because they'd fill it rather than empty it you mean?

Because you have a sparsely populated container of frames with honey in them and it’s more difficult to defend. The best defence against wasps is bees covering every frame. Bees won’t put honey in a box underneath them.

In fact if you look at a winter configuration there will be brood nearest the entrance and stores behind or above

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I have had a horrid year.
It started well as we had a cracking early spring and I got some dandelion honey
I had two splits fail to requeen and one developed laying workers. One hive is only just ticking over and produced nothing but enough for itself.
I killed the queen in a Demaree but they managed to make another in the end. I Baileyed one colony onto a 14x12 configuration so that has used a lot of honey and I made a nuc up for a fancy queen. A swarm arrived at the end of may and they have given me a whole super.
So out of seven boxes of bees I have 100lb of honey. Good job they cancelled Conwy honey fair this year!

How disappointing for you! I think a good number of us have had an odd year too.

My most robust colony resisted every effort of mine to give them a queen and is now defunct.
Three supers were going well but ended up uncapped.
One split from a qc gave me a dud queen, which has been superseded. The colony is getting up to strength but needs a lot of feeding.
The colony split from, is now on double brood and going like a train, but has put nothing in their super - now removed.
Another had a queen failure and I united with a nuc and has my final chance of honey - a super still crammed full with bees.
Finally, a sedate colony which was slow to get going, built up, didn’t swarm but produced less than one super.

So on that basis, having taken 26 lbs of honey but with an unknown amount in one super left, I have probably done worse than you on a lbs per colony basis.

So chin up, there’s next year to look forward to, the main thing for me is to make them strong for the winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

How disappointing for you! I think a good number of us have had an odd year too.

My most robust colony resisted every effort of mine to give them a queen and is now defunct.
Three supers were going well but ended up uncapped.
One split from a qc gave me a dud queen, which has been superseded. The colony is getting up to strength but needs a lot of feeding.
The colony split from, is now on double brood and going like a train, but has put nothing in their super - now removed.
Another had a queen failure and I united with a nuc and has my final chance of honey - a super still crammed full with bees.
Finally, a sedate colony which was slow to get going, built up, didn’t swarm but produced less than one super.

So on that basis, having taken 26 lbs of honey but with an unknown amount in one super left, I have probably done worse than you on a lbs per colony basis.

So chin up, there’s next year to look forward to, the main thing for me is to make them strong for the winter.

Next year is always better. I spotted some embryo hazel catkins yesterday and my mind was into next spring already.
Two years ago a pine plantation was harvested across the valley. Rosebay willow herb covered the bare hillside. The sun shone and we had no rain for three months. Our six hives hives gave us nearly 1000lb of honey. All my splits grew too big to unite so were sold on as full size colonies the following spring. Any future year has a lot to live up to.

 

[Swarm]

Love your positive outlook, Poot. Hat's off to you.
Shame you don't need a queen now, I have one that needs a home.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Love your positive outlook, Poot. Hat's off to you.
Shame you don't need a queen now, I have one that needs a home.

Hi Swarm,
Shame we didn’t have this exchange a month ago. I could have used one then and from what you post about your black bees, I would like to experience such a colony.
Never mind eh?