Beekeeping: How To FIX & PREVENT Wonky Comb

Beekeeping can go bad if your bees start building wonky comb. I'll show you how to prevent wonky comb and how to fix it if it happens
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[@TheBeastRenews]

I've had good success this year mushing wonky comb onto the frame - they draw it back out.

[@beek]

Great, I've don't that too and seems to go well.

[@duconce]

I was surprised you didn't check that frame you shook off for the queen first.

[@beek]

Too challenging as she can be behind the wonky comb, so if she was on it I shook her back into the hive which may have actually happened.

[@lavenderlilacproductions]

Was it just for convenience that you didn't frame up that brood?

[@beek]

Not sure what you mean? I took the frames out to coat them, then placed them back in after I coated them the same day as I showed in the video. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question.

[@dianayoung7072]

Maybe the commenter is asking if you could frame the wonky brood onto empty frames, so you don't lose that brood? I am new at this, and I had this question. I've put brood from a swarm box that was growing below the frame onto an empty frame. Seemed to work. But could you do that with wonky comb?

[@Craigx71]

Drop the plastic foundation sheet, use a starter strip of wax and let the bees draw down comb naturally. I have found that bees draw out natural comb a lot faster than they fill out a foundation sheet.

[@beek]

I've experimented with that and FOR ME it didn't work as well as foundation that's coated. Especially after July when bees aren't really drawn much wax out. Also, they can curve the comb from a starter strip and angle it which they won't do with plastic foundation. But again, that's just my experience.

[@christies4963]

It didnt work well for me. But I am open to try again in the future. Perhaps as a I get better at this.

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

As proven by David's red wax experiment, if you provide them adequately waxed frames they will use the provided wax and not have to provide it themselves.... this ultimately not only saves the bees time, but energy... which means they require less consumption of nectar/honey to produce the comb... = More honey

[@neilfrozenoak5438]

We only use 100% pure beeswax foundation, and have never had to add extra wax or had wonky comb. I've heard some foundation has some other ingredient or not so pure beeswax and this leads to poor drawing of the foundation and lots wonky comb

[@TiffinFamilyInvestmentInc.]

I think they perfer to draw there own comb and you don’t need to wax anything I have personally just put empty frames between foundation they pull out foundation less faster seems to me I remove crazy comb

[@psychochef05]

I typically checkerboard once they’ve drawn out most of the first box, and then again when I add a 2nd brood box to get them to start drawing out the new box a little quicker.

[@scottsnyder8691]

We have very similar wonky comb I've been debating what to do with. We didn't wax our frames (we didn't know) and that's what happened. The ones we waxed later have had no issues. Sounds like I'll be scraping the wonky comb. Other wonky looks OK like some of yours so we'll be leaving that. We now have some really good frames filled up and just added our honey super. Here in San Diego they just use one deep brood box. We caught our first swarm April 13 and they seem to be doing really well. Thank you for all the tips!

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

About 30 minutes prior to me inspecting my hives I will place some beeswax blocks out on my inspection table (a table within about 10 feet of hive, convenient place to keep all your tools and a chair to rest your aching back). The sun warms up the wax to where it is somewhat pliable. Then anywhere I see a frame that they aren't drawing out, or drawing out properly I simply use the warmed up wax block to scribble some wax on like a crayon! Works great, you use less wax and you don't have to have a lot of wax liquified. And it is ready at a moments notice for even just a small area!

[@jeremiahyeo5863]

I find that sections that you’re removing that have brood on it, you can also take an empty frame and remove its foundation and then suspend the sections of honeycomb in the middle with rubber bands. The bees will unify all those sections together in the middle of the frame even without the foundation.

[@metalheadz07]

Love your videos David I’m learning so much from you first time beekeeper too trying to catch a swarm at present thanks again for all your time and work 🙏🙏

[@christies4963]

Thank you so much for answering this question. This is what I did to correct it, and then started doubting myself and yeah just drove myself NUTS!!! I will check all three hives for progess and see stay on top of things..

[@robertfeinberg]

Thank you!

[@eric-sz5me]

Number of bees in the hive as well as nector flow has alot to do with how bees draw comb. Little bees and no flow makes for some comb thats not pretty and perfect like your looking for. Bees also draw and use the comb as needed. The unperfect combs get moved to wall and get used for storing honey and raising drones. I also do belive in waxing frames for faster drawing out of comb.

[@jbhcep1019]

if you are a new beekeeper without a lot of extra wax laying around, are their store bought waxes you can use? I have a wonky comb issue and would love to try this but I don't have wax!

[@hoosiersolarpower974]

Hi David i have built a long hive ready to put bees in as of today I'm in Indiana buying local bees but was wanting to place 2 nucs with Queen and Bees of 10 frames total is this a good speed up process to enhance Bee hive growth

[@alexvigneron1577]

Spotted the queen at 8:11 middle bottom! She was running along the bottom hiding.

[@johnnyjohnson536]

I'm having issue with bees attaching top frames to bottom frames. The bottom frames are drawn out good but instead of migrating to the frame above they are trying to draw and attach frame together

[@BeekeepingManagementTips]

Good content🍯

[@bernadettegrisham676]

Do I need a queen screen on top of second super to keep her out of the honey?

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

Most experts will advise you to initially put the honey super on without any queen excluder initially. This tends to make the bees move up into the honey super and start working on it faster. Then after they start drawing it you simply shake all the bees down out of the honey super back into the brood chamber and place a queen excluder on top. Once they start drawing comb they are compelled to continue, but if it is at 0% drawn it takes a lot to make them move above the queen excluder. If the queen lays any eggs in the honey super, within 21 days of placement of the queen excluder they will hatch out and it will be backfilled with honey.

[@thebeersandthebees]

What happens if you just squish that wonky comb agains the foundation and spread it around like butter? will they take to the foundation then and reuse it.... judging from your "red wax" video it seems they will just move it around and reuse it ok...

[@beek]

Yes I’ve made videos stating this methods works well.

[@bryanbetournay5557]

How many pounds of wax would it take to cover 10 deep frames?

[@beek]

No one really knows exactly as it may vary.

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

I have seen some channels state about 2 to 3 oz of wax per deep frame if you are dipping them. You can probably get away with less if you lightly roll it on or scribble it on like a crayon. So I guess a little less than a pound of wax to do a 10 frame deep.

[@rocketcitymoto2883]

I'm the second comment :) Thanks for another awesome video. What type of dye do you use for the beeswax? I've been adding extra wax to my newer frames and would like to see how the bees are using it. Thanks David!

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

He purchased the pre-colored wax foundation from Dadant I believe... then melted the wax foundation to apply to his plastic foundation frames.

[@tomreppert1722]

I checkerboarded my lower deep when I added my second deep. Went back in a week and a half later and it was fully drawn out and had uncapped brood in it.

[@beek]

I'm gonna check on mine in a few days and hopefully I'll see the same progress as you have Tom. Thanks for sharing.

[@Peekul1]

You're a mind-reader 😂 great topic!!

[@beek]

Thank you! 😁

[@JoeLonghornApiary]

What about wonky comb on floor of hive?

[@BackBeeBrokenBeekeeping]

You want to scrape up any wonky comb on the lid, inner cover, or bottom as it can be a point where you can accidentally smash bees/queen.

[@TheBurntSportsman]

I'll have to do this to my plastic frames.

[@justinmills8084]

One thing I have noticed is if you leave black foundation frames in the sun, it will deple wax quickly.

[@beek]

Agree, but not just in the sun, even left in storage where the temperature changes too.

[@jayglosser2014]

Very interesting video David, lots to learn. Weather not so great here, drizzle, rain, windy all day 62 . Not a good fly day for the bees.

[@beek]

And it's going to be 49 tonight!

[@jayglosser2014]

@@beek Expecting 40 degrees over night by Thursday morning. Strawberries might be in danger.

[@beek]

What state are you in Jay

[@jayglosser2014]

I live in ORANGEVILLE NY 4 miles west of Warsaw NY

[@charlieo.farmer2468]

I just checkered boarded one of my hives earlier today so here's hoping it works .

[@user-pv3tt5en8m]

The bees draw the frames out nicely if you give them a good coat of wax

[@beek]

So true.

[@anthonypeterson3112]

Some of the first frames I waxed have curved foundation and the bees drew it out wonky. Guessing the wax was to hot when it was put on.

[@BestBuzzHoneyBees]

I’ll second you on adding wax to your plastic foundation. I always order unwaxed foundation and use wax that I melt down from my yards on the new frames. They rarely fail to pull all the frames out smoothly

[@beek]

Indeed!

[@gallowaylights]

So sad... I wish they liked plastic.

[@thomasalmeida101]

I’m the first comment