As for the worth of us "Bee Scientist" we are actually a bunch of
     child minded adults with an interest in bees. We never really grew up
     so we have stayed in school way too long and now play as though what
     we do is work. I cannot think of anything else I would rather do.
     Thank you that are citizens of the united states for your support. I
     hope we develop some information, techniques and resistance you can
     all use.
 
     Now to answer this question. Old brood comb becomes smaller with use.
     Bees leave a layer of silk "a cacoon" within the cell after each of
     them pupate. Over a period of many years that cell becomes smaller and
     smaller. After about 6 years it produces bees that are smaller than
     whatever race you requeened with. Also, beekeepers work their colonies
     regularly if they are successful. Each comb gets a stab here and a
     nick there. Since we try to promote worker comb in place of abundant
     drone comb, our pets are always trying to find another location to put
     a few drones. Every time you pull out a frame and tear up some comb,
     they are likely to build in drone comb to replace it. In short, after
     about 5 years a comb should probably be replaced. If you do not
     replace such comb, your hives will not die for that reason but the
     combs do take a beating if you work the bees. If you do not work the
     bees then your not going to be as successful keeping them. Replacing
     comb is the "lesser of 2 weevils". It also helps reduce brood disease.
     Work the combs that are in poorest condition to the outside. Pull them
     out when they are emty and put in some foundation. To facilitate
     getting the foundation drawn right away, place it next to the brood.
     If you have plasticell then simply scrape it off and let them rebuild
     once each 5 years. If a beekeeper replaces only one comb in each
     chamber each season, it will take 9 or 10 years to rotate all the
     combs. It is a good thing to do.
 
 
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Replacing Old Brood Combs
Author:  Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]> at internet-ext
Date:    6/20/96 6:57 PM
 
 
At 12:11 AM 6/18/96 +0000, you wrote:
>  Can someone kindly point me to scientific evidence that replacing
>old brood combs actually benefits the health and/or honey production
>of a colony?
>
>   I've read speculation/hearsay on this, but would actually like to
>read the scientific basis.
>
>Thanks,
>John in Dallas
>
Hi John
 
I have not seen any scientific data or papers on the removal of old combs.
I have read several articles and listened to several lectures which advocate
rotating old combs about every 5 years.  The reason given is that toxins
build up in the wax combs from the chemicals we put in the hive and the
pollutants that the bees bring in.  I have also heard some beekeepers say
that they change so that the bees won' t become to small using an ever
decreasing size cell to grow in.  But then another beekeeper countered, "How
small is to small".
 
I attended a seminar this past weekend and one of the lecturers said that
there is evidence that bees only survived 2 to 5 years in the same nest in
the wild prior to domestication.  They would either die out or abscond.
Then the waxworms would clean up the wax and then bees moved back in and
constructed new combs.
 
I have started removing old combs a few years ago and I feel that it has
contributed to the general health of my bees.  All in all I would say that
in the absence of something more definitive, it is a matter of preference
when or if combs are rotated.
 
Frank Humphrey
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Frank Humphrey
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