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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: wouldliketobee on February 01, 2014, 06:27:46 pm

Title: Ok to turn brood comb 90 degrees?
Post by: wouldliketobee on February 01, 2014, 06:27:46 pm
Watched a video that came with my bee vac, the person doing cutout was removing combs from a barn wall ,the comb was around 6 inches by 5 feet long, when he put comb into frames he must have turned them 90 degrees because the pieces were 6 inches wide and were cut to length of frame.My question is does that hurt the brood? It would be easier to do it that way as opposed to trying to put 3 -6 inch wide pieces of comb into a frame. 
Title: Re: Ok to turn brood comb 90 degrees?
Post by: iddee on February 01, 2014, 07:07:22 pm
The brood will emerge fine, but the queen won't lay in it afterward.
Title: Re: Ok to turn brood comb 90 degrees?
Post by: wouldliketobee on February 01, 2014, 08:34:45 pm
Thanks Iddee. I have a couple of cutouts to do in the spring.Both in the same 2x4 studded wall.
Title: Re: Ok to turn brood comb 90 degrees?
Post by: Joe D on February 01, 2014, 10:32:53 pm
If you can just install them in your frames the same as they were.  If you have to put two or more pieces besides each other, that will be fine.  They build the comb,(the holes in the comb) with a slight tilt, so put the that way.  Get some good size rubber bands to hold it in.  Good luck to you and the bees.




Joe
Title: Re: Ok to turn brood comb 90 degrees?
Post by: ugcheleuce on February 02, 2014, 11:49:43 am
When he put comb into frames he must have turned them 90 degrees ... My question is: does that hurt the brood?

As with many beekeeping things, you'll find different beekeepers have different opinions about this.  Two common statements is that the honey will flow out (particularly if the comb is upside down) and that the queen will not lay in them.  Some beekeepers even hold different views at different times (e.g. in 2006 Michael Bush held the one view (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm) but in 2004 he held the other view (http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-210503.html)).  Some beekeepers experimented with this, and came to the one conclusion (http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-193633.html) while others come to the same conclusion (same thread).

I have no experience about this but if faced with your choice I would have implemented the "it's okay to do it" school of thought.