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Author Topic: What a mess.  (Read 4139 times)

Offline Beeninja

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What a mess.
« on: June 12, 2014, 11:55:18 am »
I have two Top Bar Hives,  I built my first Lang three weeks ago. I bought a nuke from a member of my bee club. Installed them into a deep and they filled 80% of the bottom box so I added another deep, closed them up and let them do what bees do.  Went to check on them today and they are connecting the bottom box frame to the top box frames and continuing to build comb from the bottom up. It would not matter much but they are not staying on any one frame. They are cross combing and it is turning out to be one big mess.  I am using frames with ΒΌ starter strips of foundation so I think that my bee the problem  or is there to much space between the two boxes?  Or do I call it a wash and get another TBH?


Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2014, 12:23:52 pm »
I recommend move some of the drawn frames from the bottom box into the top box and put the foundationless frames in the bottom box. Alternate them drawn-foundationless-drawn in both boxes to tell the bees how you want the frames to bee built.  Move 2 or 3 in the center, depending on how strong the hive is, and then when built, do some more. Good luck.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline AliciaH

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2014, 01:55:41 pm »
Ditto what Jim said.

If you are foundationless and did not move two frames up from the bottom to "seed" the top box with, then the bees were absent a guide.  It's a big jump from the top of your bottom box to the top of the top box.  Moving frames up allows them a ladder, so to speak, to move up.  My guess is without that, they looked at all that space and adjusted the best they thought how to keep everyone together. 

Shouldn't be hard to fix if you try the recommendation above.

Offline Beeninja

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2014, 02:57:08 pm »
Thanks for the advise. I guess I was applying to much TBH principal to my Lang. Give them a bar and let them go. I will make the adjustments since I just got done cleaning up stray comb and getting a jar of honey in the process. The girls are made already so I will make this quick. Thanks again  sawdstmakr and AliciaH 


Offline Fergmeister

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2014, 06:57:13 pm »
Thank goodness you are all out there.  There is comfort in knowing real life bee keeping isn't as the perfect situation youtube videos convey.  BTW we just captured another swarm @ KU Natural History Museum.
Chuck

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2014, 10:43:10 pm »
Thanks for the advise. I guess I was applying to much TBH principal to my Lang. Give them a bar and let them go. I will make the adjustments since I just got done cleaning up stray comb and getting a jar of honey in the process. The girls are made already so I will make this quick. Thanks again  sawdstmakr and AliciaH 


No problem, hope it helps. Let us know how it works out.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline schawee

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2014, 12:17:15 am »
its always good to place drawn frames between foundationless frames.it gives them a guide to follow.    schawee
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Offline Steel Tiger

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2014, 03:35:10 am »
 Even with a guide, make sure the frames are squeezed together. I had a space between frames and the bees built a double comb on it.

Offline hivebuilder

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2014, 09:56:56 am »
fergmeister  what is happening to these swarms? I have a new topbar hive set up over a month with lemon grass oil . no luck . hard to justify price of package as the last three the property owner installed in a lang died ? in less than a year. looking for bees.


Offline Better.to.Bee.than.not

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2014, 06:08:27 pm »
wow. if the last 3 packages died in less than a year, than I guess it would be hard to justify the price.....something is being done that isn't working to well, thats for sure.

Offline GSF

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2014, 10:07:36 pm »
hivebuilder, not to insult your knowledge but, did you go in those hives? If not the next go 'round it may pay to peep in more often. I bought three packages less than three months ago, lost all three queens. The company sent me one for the first one, and I said the heck with commercial grown queens so I'm trying to get them to raise some local queens.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline hivebuilder

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #11 on: June 14, 2014, 01:54:55 am »
the bees weren't mine , belonged to the property owner. I looked into the hive this spring . lots of evidence of wax moths. I figured they moved in after the bees were gone. he says no more for him , spent enough money for a lifetime supply of honey. the first package lasted the best, made through the winter then just disappeared. they were very hot and would be banging him all over if he got within 30 ft. 

Offline Beeninja

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #12 on: June 21, 2014, 10:54:45 pm »
No problem, hope it helps. Let us know how it works out.
Jim
[/quote]

Update: the hive is building like crazy after I placed drawn comb between the starter bars. Who new? Thanks again. I see medium supers in my future

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2014, 03:55:15 am »
No problem, hope it helps. Let us know how it works out.
Jim

Update: the hive is building like crazy after I placed drawn comb between the starter bars. Who new? Thanks again. I see medium supers in my future
[/quote]
Glad it worked out. Hope you get lots of honey.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #14 on: June 23, 2014, 11:17:00 pm »
Nuc... as in nucleus.  Some NSA filter sent this to someone who is trying to make sense of this right now...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline Diogenes

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2014, 11:33:40 pm »
Nuc... as in nucleus.  Some NSA filter sent this to someone who is trying to make sense of this right now...


Just wait until they raid the guy who just finished building 10 complete "nukes"   :-D

 8-)
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: What a mess.
« Reply #16 on: June 23, 2014, 11:40:35 pm »
Nuc... as in nucleus.  Some NSA filter sent this to someone who is trying to make sense of this right now...


Just wait until they raid the guy who just finished building 10 complete "nukes"   :-D

:-D
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin