Expanding hive with brace comb

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furrybean

New Bee
Joined
May 28, 2012
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Location
High Peak
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
Hi all,
I moved a swarm into a national BB with a divider a week and a half ago and they have ignored the frames and built brace comb in the space. Any ideas, I don't want to risk damaging the queen by removing the brace but want to get them building up.
One problem is I don't have any spare drawn foundation.
Thanks in advance
 
Hi all,
I moved a swarm into a national BB with a divider a week and a half ago and they have ignored the frames and built brace comb in the space. Any ideas, I don't want to risk damaging the queen by removing the brace but want to get them building up.
One problem is I don't have any spare drawn foundation.
Thanks in advance

You need at least one frame of drawn comb or foundation to start them off in the right direction and they only need a couple of frames to start with - not loads of space.

Have a look at Tom Bicks Foundationless Beekeeping thread, it's perfectly possible to manage without foundation but you need to be a bit clever with it.
 
You should have filled the space with something, anything, screwed up paper would do! They will chose to build their own comb in the space rather than build on the foundation! But now you have to sort it! You could cut the comb out and tie or rubber band it on to frames, or just cut it out and shake the bees onto the foundation! Or, you could put a box on top and wait till they build comb and move up but for that you need more kit. I think you need to go shopping. I think you may also need help, anyone nearby who could help you tidy it up?
 
Thanks,
Ive got some more foundation so Ill fill the rest of the hive later today but Im just wondering what to do with all the brace comb.
Cheers for the replies
 
Thanks,
Ive got some more foundation so Ill fill the rest of the hive later today but Im just wondering what to do with all the brace comb.
Cheers for the replies

if its filled with stores or brood, then simply place into an empty frame and hold in place with elastic bands, I did this last week, check 7 days later and they had re stuck it in the frame and chewed through the band, so all good
 
Well it's done. There was quite a bit of comb with a bit of food so I out it in a feeder above a new Bb and filled the Bb with frames this time. I hope they have time to draw it this season of some heft feeding will be needed perhaps.
 

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