In a message dated 97-04-02 21:02:03 EST, you write:
 
<< I have some comb from some shallow supers I extracted last year that is
 somewhat damaged.  There are sections (anywhere from 1/8th to 2/3rd) of
 the total comb area that are gone from top to bottom.  These are
 generally at the ends of the frames.  The remaining comb is in good
 shape.  My question is, will the bees repair this satisfactorily?  Will I
 be able to use it again this year for extracting or should I just melt it
 down and put in more foundation.  The original foundation is wired, and
 on some of the melted sections the wires are exposed. >>
 
   I have found that the bees will usually mess up the comb big time, if
verticle wires are exposed, but will generally ignore horizontal wires.  I
have no explanation for this; it's just an observation from many years.
 
   When super comb is damage, I cut out the verticle wires that are exposed,
and place the damaged comb between two good combs.  Usually they will repair
it.  Most often the repair is in drone-sized cells, but that doesn't matter
in a super (above an excluder).  If the horizontal wires are tight, leave
them alone, and the bees are apt to build right over it.  If they don't, you
can cut it later.
 
   Alternatively you can clean out all the comb and wires, and place it
between two good combs, and get a nice new comb, suitable for chunks of comb
in the jar.
 
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