needing advice

[ktbearpaws]

My bees started out drawing comb wonderfully, but as time went on they started bridging the comb together.
Me.... unknowingly thought that If I spread the bars apart a little would keep them from tieing the comb together....
I know it was a stupid mistake, but this was the result..

Now, they are building comb over the side and top of the bar..
What would be the simplest and fastest way to fix this problem?
Oh, by the way, my bars will fit tight, they just don't look like it in the picture.

[Robo]

Unfortunately there is no simple or easy fix. The bad news is that if you don't take harsh measures and straighten it out now, it will continue to get worse.   You need to cut and remove whatever you need to and get the bars back tightly together.  Can't tell from the picture,  but you may be able to tie some of the pieces to new bars so that all their effort was not wasted.

[luvin honey]

I had the same problem due to an installation error on my part. I cut them off (too soft to try to tie up) and propped them in the back of the hive. Now, I make certain every bar is tight together :) Good luck!

[oldenglish]

Cut them out, it will only get worse, then check them every 3 - 4 days and any comb that is starting to drift just push the ends back in line with the bars. It can get messy if you wait too long.
Here is my blog post on finding it after they went off track BLOG

And here is what it looks like today, blog

[ktbearpaws]

Ever have the problem of them bridging the comb together?
If so how did you stop it or repair it?
I was cutting the bridge with a hacksaw blade

[luvin honey]

Mine are also doing this. I keep slicing through it with a fish fillet knife. It's so thin and light that it doesn't do much damage. Then, I use my fingers to smoosh the bulging parts back in. Will see next week if they have left it tucked in or built it back out...

[ktbearpaws]

I far as I can tell.... the idea, is to keep the top bars tight so no bees can to the top...
I was having problems with the bees bridging the comb together. I thought if I separated the top bars a little, this would keep them from being able to attach the comb together. I was wrong.... this was the result.  :-D
Live and learn I guess..... I will take these bars out and attach them to new bars.
Then tighten them up so there is no space between the bars.
As soon as the beesuit I ordered arrives! :-D 

[Robo]

Just FYI, the longer the top bars (ie wider the hive)  the more likely they are to curve the ends of the comb towards adjacent top bars.

[luvin honey]

Robo--At what width of hive do they tend to stop doing that? I think mine has about 22" bars, but I forget the dimensions. Thanks!

[Robo]

Robo--At what width of hive do they tend to stop doing that? I think mine has about 22" bars, but I forget the dimensions. Thanks!

With my limited experience,  my Warre hives with 12" bars do not do it,  my TBHs with 22-22" bars do. I have also seen it start on some foundationless Langstroth.  I believe somewhere in the 14-16" range it becomes noticeable.

[ktbearpaws]

I'm not having problems with them curving the ends....
My bees are drawing comb from one top bar to another, up next to the top bar.
In other words, I can't pull out a top bar of comb for a hive inspection, without first cutting comb they have drawn tieing two of the bars together....