Hello Dave, and others:

> From: pech <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
> <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 07:22:05 -0700
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Kinda Weird.....
>
> Thank You for the info George.....
> 1) YES I did start with 10 frames. The hive is a kit I bought from
> The Kelly Co. in Kentucky. It is assymbled correctly.

May I add one point using some numbers:  The inside width of Kelly hive
bodies is very close to  14.625 inches (14 - 5/8");  the wide, upper half of
the end bars (composite frame width) is  1 - 5/16 inches (1.313").  Placing
the 10 frames touching together, AND against one side wall of the hive body
uses 13.13 inches. leaving a total unused gap across the box of 1.375  inch,
with nothing in that spoce.

Thus, one has  eleven 1/8"  spaces (the needed number+ 1) to divide between
frames and between each outside frame and the adjacent wall; and in my
opinion this causes the weird comb....Which is what George Imirie said
without the numbers

After first drawing three of the  four sheets of foundation, they then
dropped a piece of whatever sized abberant next comb from the outer edge of
either the frame being drawn or from the proximate edge of next frame.   In
any event there is not room for other than a thin sheet of the abberant
combcomb between, has wasted space and wax, and you can't see the space
beneath it.

The solution:  Push all the frames together to one side or to the other to
start with, and as the foundation is drawn, move the frames over preserving
the correct 'Bee Space'  that is marred by the extra 1/8 inch, realizing
that  in practice, the equal division is likely erred,  causing the weird
only between certain frames 1/4 inch apart.

>My question is what do I do about it?  I think removing the comb is the correct
> thing to do, but is there anything I should be aware of while
> attempting this proceedure,

If what I *think* happened is fact,  I would (as a hobby beekeeper)  remove
this thin comb, and push the  undrawn frames together (touching);  when you
remove the extra layer  of  bee-added comb I have found it tacked to the
underlying foundation by small islands of burr comb, which may be modified
into patches of drone comb as the coloniy reworks it.  If this  foundation
is waxed plastic, scraping the burr off  may result in rebuilding as
standard worker comb.  This is probably not that important, except most
'newbees' and some 'oldbees' just like to get it right!


I hope this provides tangible insight into how this happened.  If one builds
his/her own boxes or frames, it does point to the importance of getting the
measurements exactly right.   I hope someone will be helped by this!

Regards
Bob  Barnett
Birmingham,  AL