Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: oldenglish on April 22, 2009, 11:07:32 am

Title: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: oldenglish on April 22, 2009, 11:07:32 am

I have one top bar hive and the bees are doing great. My management skills on the other hand have room for improvement. I waited too long before checking on them (only a week) and they have drifted off the frame at one end pretty much every frame as I can tell. I tried resetting the comb but it just started tearing and collapsing, I dont want to fuss with it too much as this is a package and they need the new bees from the brood.
I just added five new bars and will be checking them every other day and correcting as I go.

What can I do with the 10 bars or so in the front of the hive that are attached to each other ??? :-\

I posted pics on my blog, http://davesbeeadventure.blogspot.com/

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: Robo on April 22, 2009, 11:18:52 am

You need to straighten out the combs as soon as possible or you will continue to struggle with them.

Try using a serrated knife and cut along the top bars and straighten the comb.   Since it is new comb, it will be very fragile.  If the comb needs a lot of correction and the weight of the comb under the horizontal cut is too heavy, you need to remove some of the comb using horizontal cuts.

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: oldenglish on April 22, 2009, 11:36:12 am

Quote from: Robo on April 22, 2009, 11:18:52 am

You need to straighten out the combs as soon as possible or you will continue to struggle with them.

Try using a serrated knife and cut along the top bars and straighten the comb.   Since it is new comb, it will be very fragile.  If the comb needs a lot of correction and the weight of the comb under the horizontal cut is too heavy, you need to remove some of the comb using horizontal cuts.

Thanks, I will give it a try, somehow the idea of cutting comb, especially comb with brood seems kinda wrong but if it needs to be done I will just have to bite the bullet.

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: Robo on April 22, 2009, 12:03:13 pm

Quote from: oldenglish on April 22, 2009, 11:36:12 am

somehow the idea of cutting comb, especially comb with brood seems kinda wrong but if it needs to be done I will just have to bite the bullet.

Yes, it seems wrong at first, but once you live thru not cutting it (which hopefully you won't have to based on others experience) it becomes apparent that nipping it in the bud is the real answer.   I'm sure others will chime in,  but I'm sure anyone with experience will reinforce the notion of fix it early.

Trust me,  it gets harder to fix, both mentally and physically, the longer you wait.

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: mtbe on April 23, 2009, 04:35:44 pm

OldEnglish,

I'm curious.  Did you 'paint' the bars/strips with wax, or just kept them natural wood?

mtbe

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: oldenglish on April 23, 2009, 05:46:08 pm

Quote from: mtbe on April 23, 2009, 04:35:44 pm

OldEnglish,

I'm curious.  Did you 'paint' the bars/strips with wax, or just kept them natural wood?

mtbe

I filled the saw cut with bees wax, I am now wondering if it would be better to put a wood strip in there instead, however on my lang that just has bees wax they are perfectly straight.

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: RyanB on April 23, 2009, 10:22:19 pm

Maybe I missed it, but I didnt see any really horrible crosscomb across the bars?

Title: Re: Suggestions, help needed
Post by: mtbe on April 24, 2009, 12:10:29 pm

Well, on the Lang, there is still empty space between the frames.

I put wood strips in the groove and painted them with wax.  They seem to be building straight across the bars with the 'guide'.