Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: beemaster on February 23, 2005, 07:06:27 pm

Title: Quention about drawing out frames
Post by: beemaster on February 23, 2005, 07:06:27 pm

This question from an EMAIL I received.. Any help is appriciated.

I was wondering if you might could help.
I'm a small hobbyist beekeeper that uses rite cell foundation.
The bees draw out the brood and food chambers fine but they are not drawing out the Illinois supers for honey. I thought it may be to late in the year for them to draw out both and then a honey super but this past year they did nothing in the Illinois supers and it was the second season they were on the hive.

How do I get them to draw the Illinois supers foundation out.
Any help would be appreciated...............Ian

Title: Quention about drawing out frames
Post by: Kris^ on February 23, 2005, 08:21:00 pm

I use Rite-Cell foundation, and I had the same problem mid-summer last year.  I ended up removing the queen excluder and the bees started drawing comb in my honey super right away.  Once the queen had laid some brood up there, I could move her down and replace the excluder, and the workers continued drawing and filling comb.  

-- Kris

Title: Quention about drawing out frames
Post by: Beth Kirkley on February 23, 2005, 08:59:55 pm

Is an excluder being used? I have tried one only once, and the bees did not want to go up and work past it. When I took it off, they did fine.

That's all that came to mind with me.

Beth

Title: Quention about drawing out frames
Post by: Robo on February 23, 2005, 09:27:06 pm

I agree, if he is using an excluder that is his problem.
Bees will not drawn foundation, even wax, above an excluder.
If he is not using an excluder, I would suggest moving one of the frames down to the middle of the brood nest, and let them draw it out and the queen lay some eggs in it.  Then move it up into the medium super. Sort of like a bait frame. Yes they might build drone comb on the bottom of it,  but think of it as varroa control, and just cut it off when moving it up.

Title: Quention about drawing out frames
Post by: stingshurt on February 24, 2005, 04:30:00 pm

thank you for the information. we took off our bee i mean queen excluders. reversed our boxes brood and food chamber, put on a pollen patty added a honey super with a drawn out comb in the center and also placed a sugar feeder on top of the super. Now the wait and seeeeee. Thanks again. Ian