BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Emptying Full Combs

  • Beginners forum, ask beekeeping related questions and get help from other experienced beekeepers. Please use the Search Feature please to avoid duplicated threads
Beginners forum, ask beekeeping related questions and get help from other experienced beekeepers. Please use the Search Feature please to avoid duplicated threads
 #6246  by Japey Edge
 08 Apr 2020, 10:39
I see what you're saying Steve but my hive with the GM queen is really small at the moment so if I can get them to use these frames with stores to build fresh comb then I'll have them emptied and gain drawn comb which would be amazing for me.

I'm only going to be building one nuc. Can imagine I have enough frames of stores to do this.

@Nigel if I just bruise the combs and leave them where they are, what will they do? Should I stick frames of foundation next to the combs or will that not be a strong enough hint for them?

Appreciate all the advice here guys just trying to understand each option better before I make my move, which I will do by this weekend, possibly merge with an inspection.
 #6247  by NigelP
 08 Apr 2020, 10:54
Jazz, not 100% sure where it does go, it seems to disappear like magic which is weird.....but probably into generating more bees, heating and less need to forage for nectar. They cannot use the stores directly as they need to dilute them to 50% first, so you do find quite a lot of open liquid cells towards the ends of the hives. After a few days you have a cleared frame and/or you csee the bits you didn't bruise. I only do one or two frames per hive . Out of several hives where I've done this only one may have redistributed into the super. All the other supers where currently dry as a bone and the frames cleaned up ready for laying. ....but as we are hitting the first nectar flows not sure if it's not fresh nectar in the super.
If you colony is not too large I'd be slightly wary of adding another brood box underneath.
As for drawing comb they seem to do it when they are ready to do it. You need young bees first.
Like much in Beekeeping try it, different regions/different strains of bees all have little peculiarities in what they will do. What works for me in my region may not work in yours, but unless you try it you won't find out..
 #6251  by Japey Edge
 08 Apr 2020, 12:15
Good shout cheers Nigel. I'll have a think over it all, read through this thread again, and give it my best shot - whatever that looks like!

Thanks again everyone.