BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > NATURAL & ORGANIC BEEKEEPING METHODS

Not enough comb=No Brood. Solution? But does plastic foundation offgass in hive?

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BeeMaster2:
FG,
When bees have no room to put the honey, they keep it in their honey stomach. When this happens, the bees start producing large amounts of wax. If there is plenty of room for them to build in n, I would leave them alone. If there were no room left, then you would add a super.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird:
I came late to this but I agree with Jim.  Bees don't run out of comb they run out of space or the resources to make wax or bees.  There is no solution for a dearth yet a dearth will drain the honey supplies and provide more space.  But again if there are no resources they can't build comb or raise brood.  They don't usually swarm in a dearth.  One thing to keep in mind is that the bees determine what the "space" is in a hive not the beekeeper.  The beekeeper must assure that the bees have accepted the space he or she gives the bees before they make a decision to start swarm prep.

Michael Bush:
All plastic off gasses.  Plastic foundation is supposed to be food grade, which should off gas less.  Using foundation will not incite them to draw comb faster.  The fastest is foundationless.

FloridaGardener:
Ok.  They have space. 

They have heavy flow close by:  Japanese Privet for a few weeks more, Palmetto is next, then Swamp Bay (Persea palustris), Sabal Palm, and Chinese Tallow (Popcorn) Tree.

I must simply be patient and they'll build what they need.

                   .  .  .

To stop the nonstop swarm cells (because I have 5 "princess nucs" with swarm cells already!) I put the original Q, w/capped brood and lotsa of bees in a 10-frame med to make a simulated swarm. Must have got some foragers for her, because there's slow traffic at the entrance.  The old Q didn't have any room to lay anyway, so now she'll get fresh comb to keep busy. 

I may've seen a virgin Q running around in the big hive. She didn't escape a Q clip, but looked small.  Time will tell if they make another cell, or wait for her to mate.

                    .   .   .

Re: Plastic, a topic debated as passionately as vegetarianism

This is a summary of many controlled studies. Note pages 9 and 10 on dioxins (the breakdown of plastics) -
https://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/e66156a9-a7ac-4bc9-b256-5cf41daaaed1/files/report-12.pdf

...hence the concern.  I don't want queen bees with endocrine disruption or hormonal imbalance.   

I'm glad I can rely on foundationless to build as quickly as the plastic, and many thanks for your expertise.

 

Acebird:
If they have swarm cells it is too late.  They shut the queen down and take off.

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