From:                   "Wm. Beasley" <[log in to unmask]>

> As near as I can
> tell, I should continue feeding the hive at that point to get them to draw
> out the medium... how do I handle it so that I don't end up with sugar
> syrup honey in the process of trying to get the comb drawn for the first
> time?

   Once your brood chamber comb is drawn, the bees should be up to
strength and should be able to draw super comb on the flow. I would
not feed syrup to draw super comb. If some doesn't get finished,
there's always next year. The brood comb is what is important for
now.

   If you can set up your supers with two combs on the outside, and
one fresh, even better yet, wet from the extractor, comb in the
center, they will draw it quicker. If you are a first-time beekeeper
that won't be possible, but keep it in mind for next year. If you
start with all comb, be sure to put the supers on as the flow is
beginning, As soon as you get the center third drawn, move two frames
to the outside position (otherwise they may never draw that outside
comb), and add another super. Keep on adding supers as long as they
are filling them. Some add under the finished one. If you get burr
comb drawn on the bottom of the cover, you are too slow, and you have
lost production.

   The bees need space to store nectar, until the water is
evaporated. So you should always finish the flow with an empty super
on top. If the top super is full and the cover all burred up, you
lost quite a bit of production.

  If your super is all foundation, be sure to use ten frames per
super to get correct spacing. Otherwise the bees may build a lot of
bridge comb. Once comb is drawn, you can use 9 frames in a super and
this makes them easier to uncap, as they draw the comb out further.

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