Knowledge What to do if bees are building combs between frames? Maintain Hive Efficiency and Health
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Tech Team · HonestBee

Updated 1 week ago

What to do if bees are building combs between frames? Maintain Hive Efficiency and Health

When bees build combs between frames, it can disrupt the hive's functionality by reducing the bee space, which is essential for their movement and care of brood and resources. To address this issue, it’s important to remove the extra combs carefully, especially if they contain brood, which can be repurposed, such as feeding it to chickens. Smoke can be used to gently move bees away from the area if they are densely packed between frames. Additionally, ensuring that frames have clear starting points, like V-shaped bottoms or slots, can guide bees to build combs correctly, maintaining the hive's efficiency and health.

Key Points Explained:

  1. Understanding the Problem:

    • Bees building combs between bee hive frames can reduce the essential bee space, hindering their movement and ability to care for brood and resources.
  2. Removing Extra Combs:

    • If the hive is healthy, extra combs should be removed to restore proper bee space.
    • Brood from these combs can be repurposed, such as feeding it to chickens.
  3. Using Smoke to Manage Bees:

    • If bees are densely packed between frames, a few soft puffs of smoke can gently move them along, making it easier to access and clean the area.
  4. Guiding Comb Building:

    • Providing clear starting points on frames, such as V-shaped bottoms or closely spaced slots, can guide bees to build combs correctly.
    • These guides help bees form a 'drape' of bees, which is the beginning of proper comb building, ensuring the hive remains efficient and healthy.

By addressing these key points, beekeepers can effectively manage and prevent the issue of bees building combs between frames, maintaining a healthy and functional hive.

Summary Table:

Key Action Details
Remove Extra Combs Carefully remove combs to restore bee space; repurpose brood if necessary.
Use Smoke Gently move bees away with smoke for easier access and cleaning.
Guide Comb Building Use V-shaped bottoms or slots on frames to guide proper comb building.

Need help managing your hive? Contact our experts today for tailored advice!

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