Too much comb!

[Buckmaster]

Hi. OK, went into my hive for the first time this spring (only started last year), and I now appreciate the importance of maintaining the correct bee space between the frames! A couple of the frames were too far apart and the girls have filled the space with a lot of comb. My biggest problem is that it all seems to be well filled with a lot of beautiful looking brood, so it's not something that I can just clear out. What should I do?

 

[drex]

New young bees are valuable at this time of year, so unless the brace is really hampering manipulations I would leave it alone. Get rid of it later when bee numbers start to rise . Make sure the frames are well fitted and closed up from then on

 

[enrico]

Learning this way means you will never make the same mistake twice.. (maybe!)
Just remember that this applies to every spare place in the hive. If the bee space is too small they will stick things together and if too big they will build comb. Never be tempted to leave a frame out with the intention of filling the space 'later'. They will fill it first.
Be very gentle when moving these malformed frames around and try and manipulate them on each inspection to one side of the hive. Do this by taking out the frame at one end and hitting it in the other end. Eventually the frames that need replacing will be on the outside and are unlikely to have anything but stores in them. At this point they can be removed and replaced. Good luck and welcome to the forum. See this is your first post....
E

 

[Buckmaster]

Thanks for the advice guys. Just got two more hives, so I'll be sure not to make this mistake again. Though I'm sure there are plenty more just waiting for me!

 

[Beefriendly]

Thanks for the advice guys. Just got two more hives, so I'll be sure not to make this mistake again. Though I'm sure there are plenty more just waiting for me!

It's been said that the only difference between someone just taking up this wonderful hobby and experienced beekeepers is that the later have already made the mistakes you are about to make. They are busy devising new mistakes to make.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Thanks for the advice guys. Just got two more hives, so I'll be sure not to make this mistake again. Though I'm sure there are plenty more just waiting for me!

Welcome Buckmaster - mistakes are something I'm never short of in beekeeping. I'm learning not to beat myself up too much when I do make a howler, but analyse it and learn from it. I always feel so guilty though as they are / were living creatures!