Cut out frame removal

[Lancej]

A few weeks back I did my first cut out from a compost bin. When I removed the lid everything collapsed,  I installed most of the cone into frames but hive was the most complex one I had seen, nothing was more than a few inches straight. What's the best way of removing the frames over time otherwise I think I end up with a mess. The hive is doing well with lots of activity and bee numbers increasing.

[HillBilly2]

I like to give them a frame of honey in the second from the side. As they work on building up the rest the brood hatches and you can probably pull the side frame after three weeks and shift another into its place and add a frame of foundation on the other side. repeat until everything is straight.

[Lancej]

Thanks Hillbilly2

[OldMech]

If its that bad I might leave that box alone and give them another box on top, let them draw it through the spring and summer, winter them, and then in the spring when they are all clustered at the top yank the messed up box out from under them and have them work on building new frames that spring.

[BeeMaster2]

What Oldmech said but once they have a super of honey, place that box on top of it and then you can pull it in about 21 days.
Jim

[chux]

Let me be sure I understand what happened. You lifted the lid on the bin the feral colony was in. When you did, most of the comb fell. You picked that comb up and put it into frames, even though most of it was crooked.

I did a cutout two years ago where all of the comb pieces were 4 inches wide. I put several of the pieces side by side in the frame, and then put them in the box. The bees eventually joined all the pieces together to form one large sheet of comb. If you were able to get the strips of comb in straight, you will probably bee fine leaving them for the bees to repair. Or you can remove them as has already been suggested. Either way, leave them in place this season.

Just a note about giving honey to a cutout. I'm not sure what pests you deal with, but around here we have small hive beetle and wax moth. If you have these pests, or similar pests, the best advice is to not give very much honey comb to a new cutout for at least a week. Don't cut out honey comb, put it in frames, and put it in the box with the cutout. For the first few days after the cutout, the bees will be low on morale and will not keep pests in check. This gives Small hive beetle larvae an opportunity to destroy the new hive.

[BeeMaster2]

X2 on what Chux said about the honey. It takes 3 days for the bees to start paying attention to the SHB. On day one the beetles walk around the hive like they own it and start laying eggs everywhere. When the bees finally recover, they are removing eggs and larvae by the thousands. If they get behind, the larvae will slime the hive beyond their control.

This is your spring, down under, you can move the crossed comb up as soon as it is warm enough at night to keep from chilling the brood during a cold snap. We would leave them be up here going into winter.
Jim

[Lancej]

Hi all, been away over the weekend  enjoying the highlands. Inspected the hive on Thursday and found queen cells on a few frames. Decided to leave alone, there was no new brood, looks like I have lost the queen. No sign of beetles or moths,  lots of new cone on the foundation I gave them,  uncapped honey and plenty of pollen. Yep they are joining some of the frames together.