Episode #70 SECOND LAYENS FIRST INSPECTION

Checking out my second layens hive that I installed a swarm in 18 days earlier.

[@TheSoilandGreen]

Comb starts white and goes yellow as they walk on it. More walking equals dark comb.👍

[@benschmitt5619]

I believe you've got a good idea in coating the rod with wax. I use wires but didn't have an extractor last year and didn't have any problems cutting out the comb.

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

Did you use any type of starter strips at the top of the frames? Since I’ve only used top bars instead of frames I thought the dowel was easier way to build. I will try a few adjustments on the frames to see what the bees like. Thanks

[@benschmitt5619]

@@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107 I've used wax starter strips all last season. I'm trying a thin stip if wood in some this year. I've put them in between frames that they have started to draw. Those (only a few) do not have any other support. I was wondering about using the thinnest rod I can find for extra support. I think I would only use these for brood frames as they probably wouldn't hold up in an extractor. I've yet to try thin stris of wood with wire just to cut the expense of wax foundation

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

@@benschmitt5619 another comment on this video mentioned putting dowel vertical instead of horizontal. I believe that was a good thing to try on some of my frames.

[@MyALevelMathsTutor]

The dowel is almost like a blockage to the comb continuing freely...the bees festoon according to gravity...so a vertical central dowel if any is less of an obstruction to my mind...if your frames are strong enough and your not spinning your honey, why not omit the dowel completely and then the brood and queen have an unobstructed access as they roam and migrate up and down...care with inspection is needed i would imagine (from someone who knows a little about physics and gravity rather than beekeeping i must admit :) )

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

I like your idea of a vertical dowel. I just expected the bees to build to dowel and start again from dowel to bottom of frame. I really know better than to expect the bees to think like me. Before the season is over I will coat a dowel with wax, cut out a dowel in a frame and install a dowel vertical just to see what the bees will do on those three frames.Thanks for your comments.

[@rickwade959]

I know this video is a year old, but I don’t have this issue using the horizontal dowel. The fix is to only give them 5 or 6 frames to start with. When they start building the bottom of the last frame then add a couple more frames. Also make sure your hive is level.

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

You are correct. I have learned I opened way too many frames when I installed my swarms. Since then, I did convert some of my bars to one vertical and I tried a few with two vertical rods, just to see what they would do. I also noticed that if I wax the dowel rods, no matter which way they do attach the comb better. Do you by chance wax your dowel rods Before installing them in your hives.

[@rickwade959]

@@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107 I do not wax my dowel rods. It would probably help to get them started on the bottom half, but they will work that bottom half if they can’t go to another frame and start up top.

[@jameskosharek6838]

That's why I got rid of the dowels and wired all my frames.

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

I may have to do that also. Do the bees still occasionally still try to build wonky comb even with the wired frames?

[@jameskosharek6838]

@@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107 Yes and no. I'm find that if they are gentle bee's they seem to build on the frame's. But I have some mean bee's cause I live in California, that they build all over the place. That's just my observation. God bless.

[@simplytopbarbeekeeping2107]

@@jameskosharek6838 I guess there’s no such thing as the perfect hive. For some reason the bees just don’t do what we think they should do LOL. Hope you have a good Bee season.