Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: jgarzasr on September 09, 2005, 01:52:32 pm
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A few questions to those who have the answers and experience...
I have not cleaned up all the Cross comb between the two deeps (brood boxes) and I know it is mainly Drone Comb. Is this something that most of you get and do you constantly remove it. My plan is this weekend to get down in between those boxes and scrape off. any advice?
Also - are bees a little more aggressive this time of year - my last hive check - the bees were as mean as they have ever been.. not sure if it is because summer is over?
I am very interested in starting a couple TBH's next year - just curious to anyone that uses them out there - Can I start those types of hives with package bees? And how well do they over winter?
Thanks for the replies.
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>I have not cleaned up all the Cross comb between the two deeps (brood boxes) and I know it is mainly Drone Comb.
Between one box and the next? Or between one frame and the next horizontally?
> Is this something that most of you get and do you constantly remove it.
I usually leave it between the boxes and I usually clean it up between the frames.
>My plan is this weekend to get down in between those boxes and scrape off. any advice?
If there is a lot of it, get a bucket with a lid and scrape it into the bucket.
>Also - are bees a little more aggressive this time of year
Depends on the flow.
> - my last hive check - the bees were as mean as they have ever been.. not sure if it is because summer is over?
Probably a dearth and a lot of idle older bees.
>I am very interested in starting a couple TBH's next year - just curious to anyone that uses them out there
I have several.
> - Can I start those types of hives with package bees?
That would be the easiest.
> And how well do they over winter?
Fine. Same as regular hives. The bees just move horizontally. Just make sure they start the winter at one end or the other so they don't move to one end and starve with stores at the other end.
Pictures of my TBH at www.bushfarms.com
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Thanks Michael for the reply. The cross comb I was talking about is between one box and the next. I guess I assumed that this area should be clean - so it won't hurt to leave that comb? I know that when I do break the boxes apart - that comb will be broke open anyway - wouldn't it be better to just scrape it all off? I plan on doing a mite check pretty soon - if there is no varroa found - do I really need to get down to the bottom box? or should I still treat for tracheal mites w/menthol - which I believe has to be placed in the bottom Brood box. I believe I don't have much time left to treat w/ menthol as the temps are getting colder?
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>The cross comb I was talking about is between one box and the next. I guess I assumed that this area should be clean - so it won't hurt to leave that comb?
The only problem is that it sometimes picks up the frame below when you lift the frame above. I just leave it. The bees usually seem to either put drones there or honey.
>I know that when I do break the boxes apart - that comb will be broke open anyway - wouldn't it be better to just scrape it all off?
Some people would. I don't bother.
> I plan on doing a mite check pretty soon - if there is no varroa found - do I really need to get down to the bottom box?
I like to get down to the bottom in the spring and the fall at least and probably at least once in the middle of swarm season. In the fall I'm looking to make sure they are queenright going into winter and if they have some pollen, but not too clogged up with pollen.
> or should I still treat for tracheal mites w/menthol - which I believe has to be placed in the bottom Brood box.
I have never treated with menthol. If you have evidence of tracheal mites I'd probably treat with grease patties and menthol and get a new queen from a different breeder.
Personally, I don't treat for tracheal mites. If any of my bees are susceptable to tracheal mites, I don't want them anyway.