Comment

Comment by Sam Barden on May 15, 2013 at 1:21pm

Will do.  Jane Huisingh took a lot of great pictures of the whole process.  As soon as she sends me some, I'll post.

Comment by Rob Shepler on May 15, 2013 at 12:58pm

Yea SAM!

Post some photos of the girls when you get a chance.

Comment by Sam Barden on May 15, 2013 at 12:41pm

Bees are in their new home!

Comment by Sam Barden on May 15, 2013 at 10:38am

Our bees just arrived.  The rain has let up, so we hope to hive them within the next hour or so.

Comment by James H DAWDY on May 14, 2013 at 5:30pm

Finally seeing flow activity here in Deming.  Mainly in the afternoon.

Comment by Jessie Brown on May 13, 2013 at 7:30pm

James, here's my 2 cents on your cross combing: 

- Once the bees have established a pattern of building comb, you have to break the "habit" if it isn't straight along the top bar. If you just cut off the cross combing, they will still continue the original pattern. I agree with the comments preceding mine where it is suggested that you cut off the small comb, place it in the back at an angle for them to harvest honey and brood. It would be best if the bees can reach as much of the cut comb as possible for harvest. You can try squishing the cut comb onto an empty top bar, but in my experience, it usually falls off. 

I would then sandwich the altered bar in between 2 straight combs. If you don't have 2 straight combs, you can spin the bar 180 degrees so they use the back of the comb to establish the new pattern. Sometimes I don't even cut off the comb, especially if it is full of brood... but still make sure to sandwich it between 2 straight combs. If you don't cut off the cross combing, sometimes it makes it difficult to find the queen because it makes a terrific hiding spot. 

Comment by Diana Calkins on May 13, 2013 at 5:58pm

Ours did that on once bar.  It ended up cross combed on a second bar.  I cut it out and placed the bar between two well drawn bars.  Because we had plenty of honey stores, I harvested the little one, which wasn't much but was surely good.

Comment by James G. Blackburn II on May 13, 2013 at 5:25pm

A pic of the small "extra" combs;

 

Comment by James G. Blackburn II on May 13, 2013 at 12:16pm

Thanks Rob, that was my tendency as well, but wanted some opinions prior to cutting.

 

Comment by Rob Shepler on May 13, 2013 at 9:27am

I hope that Jessie Brown will weigh in.

My inclination is to nip it off and stick the whole bar inbetween two other full bars and see if you can't get them to draw strait comb.

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