Swapping out old comb

[SteveJ]

I have two frames old comb in one of my hives that I want to swap out. They are right in the center of the hive. Do I move the frames to the edges now in one go or in stages and then remove them in the spring or do I wait until next year before I consider moving then and swapping them out.

Cheers
SteveJ

 

[winmag270]

what condition / how old is the rest of the comb?

would it be easier to leave be then shook swarm in the spring?

that way you'd have bees on brand new comb / frames and in theory a greatly reduced varroa population

 

[SteveJ]

They where some loaned to me by a trusted source to go into a bait hive. No idea how old they are but the rest of the comb is new this year. I did promise to return them as they where only loaned.

 

[oliver90owner]

It's getting late to start to move frames to the edge of the brood box and then getting new frames drawn this year, so start now and you may be able to manage it. Do it now in stages. May be better to remove as soon as no brood on the frame (could be kept for feed if required). At least it will be part-way to being changed by the season's end. I am presuming they are well brooded-up at present.

Regards, RAB

 

[SteveJ]

Well brood up. Still got pollen and nectar coming in.

 

[winmag270]

in that case i'd move them to the edge of the brood area until any existing brood has emerged, then move them the other side of the frame of stores / pollen you find at the edge of the brood, then when you know they are fully brood free, remove them.

fill the gap where the frames were using the adjacent frames, if the bees need more space bruise the cappings on the stores to encourage them to move them.

when you've removed the two old frames add the new frames at the edge of the hive as there is likely not to be enough of a nectar flow now to draw them out successfully

you could alternatively wait till the spring and do as above then when there is a) less brood present and / or b) more nectar about....

 

[Finman]

.
If you move old frame to the egde, bee store VALUABLE pollen in it.

Best way is to use it in super and after extraction to put off.

Mostly I take off old combs so that before winter feeding I go through the combs and pick olf off if that are free of pollen or brood.

Sometimes I take them off in spring when stores has been eaten.