How to Get Your Bees to Draw Comb

what it takes for bees to draw comb. A few tips to get them to draw comb in the summer time.

[carlsledge]

regardless of the outside temperature bees need and haul water, when it's hot enough to melt wax outside, your whole flying force maybe hauling water and other rest are fanning hard to cool the hive with evaporation process, also the nurse bees will be placing tiny droplets of water on the top side of milk brood to keep them hydrated Dr. Paul Siefert a German professor has actually filmed the process, you can Google his work if you like to see it, nurse bee visit each open larva cell more a 1000 times in 12 hours. his actual work is to study the effects of neonictinoids on honeybees life span.

[carlsledge]

The trick I use to get bees to draw comb or foundation out is to move 2 frames of brood up to the top box ( they will always cover and care for brood) and feed thin syurp, put the brood separated by a blank frame with a starter strip or foundation and they'll draw it out quickly and the 2 frames outside the brood, works like magic even in a dearth as long as you keep they fed.

[scottreese]

You. My friend. Are the most helpful, educational man I've listened to on bee info. Thanks a million:)

[jackbquick]

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to talk to us and share your experiences with us. Thank you

[johnward]

You R The MAN!! Really enjoy soaking up some of your knowledge!!! You’re definitely every new bee keepers site to go to, they get so much or I definitely did from your laid back straight talk videos! Keep on Rocking!!! ✌️😎✌️👍🐝

[gregwaskom]

If you put a blank frame between 2 brood frames they will pull them out about anytime. As long as they have food coming in

[CrazyIvan]

This kinda goes back to hive insulation and less ventilation. Even Reverand Langstroth was adamant about the importance of hive insulation, if you read his original 1853 edition if The Hive and The Honey Bee. In nature, they would be in the shade of a forest during summer and have part shade/sun during winter, they'd have walls that are at least 1.5" thick, if not closer to 3, they'd have probably 8 or 10" at least of wood above their heads, their only means of entry, exit and ventilation would be the entrance, the internal temperature would be about almost a constant 95F/35C, a 1.1-1.5% CO² concentration (look it up. 11, 000-15, 000ppm CO², and the more ventilation they have, the more energy/honey they burn to increase the CO² to maintain it), and a relative humidity of 50-75% inside the hive. Below 50%, the eggs and Larva dessicate and they can't survive. And yet people wonder why they get aggressive during summer after propping/shimming the cover, opening the entrance wide open and leaving them out in the broiling sun with no insulation.

Yet nobody dares to buck the status quo and "that's how e've always done it" to try something different. Rev. Langstroth had much to say about "the common man/beekeeper" and in 200 years, nothing has changed.

[samhiss]

Thanks for the chatt! Great info, much appreciated

[ridingvenus]

A starter strip would 🐝 a cut of comb placed on a empty frame?

[markspc]

Hello Joe. Heat index is for humans because we control body temperature by perspiration, that is we sweat. Dogs don't sweat they pant. Pigs they lay on the mud.
When the air temperature is high and also the humidity it feels warmer because the sweat does not evaporate as fast to keep us cool.
Where I live it was 95 F today but the humidity was 37% so the heat index was 95 F.
I wonder if bees sweat ?

[miltonhamptonii]

Good video 👍 when you feed during the dearth should you open feed away from the hives???

[mddiygp]

I like your style. Like listening to grandpa giving a fireside chat! I'm just a new hobbeek, and was advised to feed the hive all season, which I've been doing, and the bees are just comb building machines, regardless of the hot weather, dearths, etc. Sure appreciate your videos. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[lordtachanka]

You remind me of my favorite author Hunter S Thompson, I love the way you explain stuff. You definitely earned my subscription :)

[frankiesmith]

Interested in your nuc boxes. Do you make them yourself ? Do you have plans ?

[skel]

coated plastic frames will be drawed as good as wax foundation

[trevor]

My bees have been drawing out on plastic foundation, a full frame in 2 days and it has not been above 16 Celcius (60F) here. Feed, feed, feed and they will draw comb.

[gardankoi]

Didnt you say in another video feeding inside the hive is better than open feeding for getting bees to draw comb? Assuming everything else is favorable conditions.

[Mz.Stephanie]

Thank you, I really appreciate the information!

[kevindeichmann]

You're right! They love the starter strip. I had to start using up some plastic foundation that was taking up space recently. It's sat around because the bees didn't want to draw but little patches. I used a mini paint roller and melted bees wax and what a difference! 2-3 days and almost completely drawn. Queens start laying immediately. Gotta keep the feed to them like you say. It just makes it rough when they start ruining that beautiful brood comb with honey.

[TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Excellent info and insight! Thanks! The heat makes a LOT of sense.. we dont start things we know we can't finish too. :)