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Author Topic: Cleanliness  (Read 1414 times)

Offline brushwoodnursery

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Cleanliness
« on: March 24, 2013, 09:06:42 am »
I have a colony that is sloppy. Lots of burr comb and comb laid across frames. Makes a mess during inspections. Last inspection, I started to clean some of it up and another couple of chunks just fell apart when I lifted some frames. I have 3 questions about this.
1) All of my equipment is the same and my other 2 colonies are neat and tidy (a little burr here and there). Would requeening be a viable solution to neatness issues?
2) Is it considered a good idea to clean up during an inspection? Scrape off burr whenever I see it, etc.
3) In the past I've just tossed the burr and chunks out into the yard. It occurs to me this might be a nuisance and possible risk for predators, disease, bee confusion or anything else. I just saw a burr comb collecting box that sits on the end of the hive body. Looks convenient. Should I be collecting and removing all this from the bee yard?

I realize lots of this will seem silly to commercial beeks. Being a small keeper, i can afford the time to do this sort of thing if it's beneficial.
Jack of all trades, master of none.

Offline 10framer

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2013, 01:48:19 pm »
i wouldn't eliminate the queen because of that.  i'd observe a few other differences. 
how do they compare in productivity?  you say "sloppy" and i say "utilizes all available space". 
i'd wait til after the main flow is over and decide then if the only difference now is the burr comb.
i would stop throwing it in the bee yard.  that could invite robbing, raccoons, etc.
just my 2 cents.

Offline Vance G

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2013, 04:43:06 pm »
Those bees are doing things exactly the way they want to and probably aren't costing you much in time or money.   If you make sure to keep the frames tightly spaced it will help minimize burr comb in the brood chamber/s.  I run 11 frames in brood chambers or ten with a follower board and get very little.  Burr comb is of no consequence in the supers as it all gets extracted or drained anyway.  That wax is a valuable commodity~!  If you smelled a beeswax candle buring, you might not mid the bees producing a little extra. 

Offline beeman2009

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2013, 08:01:10 pm »
Vance,

I know I'm a little off topic here, but had a question about your comment on the number of frames you run per box. I run all 8 frame boxes and wanted to run 9 in the brood chambers. I bought some new frames from Kelley's, 1 1/4" end bars. Looks to me like the spacing is too small to allow for bee space, looks like only about 1/8". How much space do your frames have between them?
All things may be lawful, but not all things are advantageous.

Beeman2009

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2013, 09:02:02 pm »
Hey Beeman,

I was just reading about this on Michael Bush's web site. Here's link.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesframewidth.htm

Good luck

David
"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."

Offline Vance G

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2013, 09:17:17 pm »
Beeman we be pirates!  AAAARGGG!  I have never measured.  I just mark them with a vee toward the cut side so I can face them all the same way.  I do it because it encourages my small cell bees to build better comb when drawing frames.  Incidentally to doing this I found that there is less burr comb no matter what size foundation I use.    Apologies BWN!  It is poor manner to poach a topic and use it for purposes the originator did not intend. 

Offline brushwoodnursery

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Re: Cleanliness
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2013, 09:26:40 pm »
it's ok. It's related and I'm learning.
Jack of all trades, master of none.

 

anything