Honeycomb & Old Wives Fable

[GSF]

It seems like I have read or heard it said that honeybees in the wild will orient their combs from north to south. Has anyone one else ever heard it before? If so, then couldn't some of the foundationless frame problems be semi cured by having frames with the ends in the North South direction?

[D Coates]

Never heard that.  I do not concern myself with which way the hives orient and have never noticed any semi-curing issues.  Doesn't mean it's are not happening, but I've noticed nothing.  Uncapped does not mean they aren't cured.  It can though, but it can also mean they didn't have enough flow to finish off the cells.

[Michael Bush]

>Has anyone one else ever heard it before?

Heard it?  Yes.  Seen it?  No.

[Joe D]

Have never heard that one before.  My THB the frames run east to west had almost no problems, had some Langs their frames ran north to south had a little more trouble with them being straight.  You just have to keep a watch on their building and help keep it straight.  Good luck




Joe

[iddee]

I started a thread a few years back asking about this. The cutout guys started taking notes on cutouts and posting the orientation. It didn't seem to make a difference. Cutouts had orientation in about all directions.

[Michael Bush]

>Cutouts had orientation in about all directions.

That was my observation as well.

[Wolfer]

I've seen comb in a single box that ran in all directions. Sometimes on the same frame!

[GSF]

I figure this was a good place to find out if it was fact or fiction and if it could apply to a bee yard.

[JP]

I remove feral colonies for a living approx 10.5 months of the year, I live in the deep south and we have tons of bee colonies here. They will build their comb sections oriented every which way with entrances facing every which way & that is a fact.


...JP