They're not supposed to do that!

[Redcap]

So I have a small swarm in a poly nuc...great !

Went to give them a welcoming feed and discovered that they're so far largely ignoring the foundation; are only slightly interested in some old comb (possibly cleaning out the cells)....but absolutely love the built in (empty) feeder, so much so that that is where they're concentrating their efforts and filling it with comb...my dilema being I don't want to scoop out the comb in that feeder for fear of damaging the queen, if she's lurking there...but I do want them out of there !

So, my plan is to remove a couple of frames and add a frame feeder adjacent to the other side-wall to try and lure activity/building away to the other side of the nuc...at least to give me a fighting chance of clearing out the brace comb in the internal feeder and get them to start thinking about using the foundation !

 

[enrico]

So I have a small swarm in a poly nuc...great !

Went to give them a welcoming feed and discovered that they're so far largely ignoring the foundation; are only slightly interested in some old comb (possibly cleaning out the cells)....but absolutely love the built in (empty) feeder, so much so that that is where they're concentrating their efforts and filling it with comb...my dilema being I don't want to scoop out the comb in that feeder for fear of damaging the queen, if she's lurking there...but I do want them out of there !

So, my plan is to remove a couple of frames and add a frame feeder adjacent to the other side-wall to try and lure activity/building away to the other side of the nuc...at least to give me a fighting chance of clearing out the brace comb in the internal feeder and get them to start thinking about using the foundation !

I block that feeder off completely. They always build comb in it. Stupid design. Some cut it out to make the nuc bigger.

 

[Redcap]

I block that feeder off completely. They always build comb in it. Stupid design. Some cut it out to make the nuc bigger.

Yep, as soon as I saw what was happening, I started kicking myself for not having done it previously...why don't I learn !!

 

[enrico]

Yep, as soon as I saw what was happening, I started kicking myself for not having done it previously...why don't I learn !!

You have to find the queen. Put her somewhere safe, knock all the bees out and then destroy the comb in the feeder. Best done when they reach the next box stage