Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: GSF on July 03, 2013, 10:01:46 am

Title: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: GSF on July 03, 2013, 10:01:46 am
It seems like I have read or heard it said that honeybees in the wild will orient their combs from north to south. Has anyone one else ever heard it before? If so, then couldn't some of the foundationless frame problems be semi cured by having frames with the ends in the North South direction?
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: D Coates on July 03, 2013, 10:14:14 am
Never heard that.  I do not concern myself with which way the hives orient and have never noticed any semi-curing issues.  Doesn't mean it's are not happening, but I've noticed nothing.  Uncapped does not mean they aren't cured.  It can though, but it can also mean they didn't have enough flow to finish off the cells.
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: Michael Bush on July 03, 2013, 10:59:47 am
>Has anyone one else ever heard it before?

Heard it?  Yes.  Seen it?  No.
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: Joe D on July 03, 2013, 11:36:17 am
Have never heard that one before.  My THB the frames run east to west had almost no problems, had some Langs their frames ran north to south had a little more trouble with them being straight.  You just have to keep a watch on their building and help keep it straight.  Good luck




Joe
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: iddee on July 03, 2013, 02:06:54 pm
I started a thread a few years back asking about this. The cutout guys started taking notes on cutouts and posting the orientation. It didn't seem to make a difference. Cutouts had orientation in about all directions.
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: Michael Bush on July 03, 2013, 02:27:47 pm
>Cutouts had orientation in about all directions.

That was my observation as well.
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: Wolfer on July 03, 2013, 06:23:51 pm
I've seen comb in a single box that ran in all directions. Sometimes on the same frame!
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: GSF on July 03, 2013, 06:38:54 pm
I figure this was a good place to find out if it was fact or fiction and if it could apply to a bee yard.
Title: Re: Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable
Post by: JP on July 03, 2013, 08:27:41 pm
I remove feral colonies for a living approx 10.5 months of the year, I live in the deep south and we have tons of bee colonies here. They will build their comb sections oriented every which way with entrances facing every which way & that is a fact.


...JP