How to rotate out cutout frames?

[drjeseuss]

I hived a colony of bees from a cutout. There is a full brood box of pieces  I banded into frames . They are irregular and cause the bees to build burr in several spots where the comb isn't straight. Also their old comb is quite dark and "well used". Much of it has been refilled with nectar ad brood hatched. I want to rotate it out and return these frames for building fresh comb. What is a good rate to replace these with empty frames? Also, should I scrape them and feed back to the bees or some other method?

[Spear]

I'm rather radical when it comes to cycling out old frames - if they have no brood on the old frames and there is a good flow on I will remove them all and put fresh foundation in. Or if they are in the middle of the brood box I move them to the sides to be sure there are no eggs in that I missed then remove only the empty of pollen bound frames. I was told that too much pollen in the hive will encourage swarming (can't verify how true this is).

[BlueBee]

Again, I do the same as Spear.  If there is not brood in them and the queen has other places to lay, then get that junk out of there.  It's just going to continue to cause problems.  This time of year, I would just set the frames some distance from the hives and let the bees rob them out.  Then melt down the wax to prime new plastic frames if you're into plastic.

[drjeseuss]

Thanks for the feedback.  I do want these out, and sooner is always better than later, but I don't want to overwork them all at once.  I'll pull a few frames, let them rebuild them, then pull a few more.  as for feeding them back, I know to put them out a ways...  what about orientation?  Should I put the frames upright and allow them to collect that way, or tip them on end allowing the cells to spill?  The later sounds more messy, but I'm not sure what's preferred for efficiency.

[BeeMaster2]

Thanks for the feedback.  I do want these out, and sooner is always better than later, but I don't want to overwork them all at once.  I'll pull a few frames, let them rebuild them, then pull a few more.  as for feeding them back, I know to put them out a ways...  what about orientation?  Should I put the frames upright and allow them to collect that way, or tip them on end allowing the cells to spill?  The later sounds more messy, but I'm not sure what's preferred for efficiency.

The important thing is to make sure they are not in a box that whey have to fly up in order to get out of it. Like if you put them in a super on top of a table where the bottom is sealed, they end up dead by the hundreds in the bottom. You can take that same super and place it on it's side with the frames in it and they will be fine.
you just want to give them access to both sides. If it is just one frame, lean it up against something. Try to place it more that 100' from your hives. More is better. If it is too close, they just tell the other bees to go out and find it close to the hive. Right where all of your other hives are full of honey. This can and does cause robbing.
JIm

[drjeseuss]

I've never understood the distance and with only one hive, robbing didn't seem as concerning to me yet, but your explanation makes more sense than I've read elsewhere...  So if it's too close, instead of collecting it, they just go to it and eat as needed, if I understood you right.  This would explain why several combs I left for them nearby never got very clean over the course of a week or so.  I thought either way it would cause a frenzy of sorts, which would be bad near other hives, but I think your explanation of the behavior makes more sense...  or I've misunderstood and am now confused.   :-D

[BeeMaster2]

I've never understood the distance and with only one hive, robbing didn't seem as concerning to me yet, but your explanation makes more sense than I've read elsewhere...  So if it's too close, instead of collecting it, they just go to it and eat as needed, if I understood you right.  This would explain why several combs I left for them nearby never got very clean over the course of a week or so.  I thought either way it would cause a frenzy of sorts, which would be bad near other hives, but I think your explanation of the behavior makes more sense...  or I've misunderstood and am now confused.   :-D

It is not only your bees that you have to worry about. Another hive or hives 3 miles away could come and rob out your hive and they quite often kill your queen when it happens.
The bees are not out to eat for themselves.
When a bee finds a good source of food, if it is more than about 100 feet (I have heard different distances) they return to the hive, offer samples and do a dance that tells the direction and distance the food is from the hive.
If it is close by they just give a sample and a short dance that says it is nearby, somewhere.
If the honey is near your hive, it smells the same as the honey in your hive and bees from far away zero in on your hive as they get close to where they were told to go.
Jim