In a message dated 7/4/99 3:06:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> They have built burr comb
>  with honey every where.  What a mess!!  The boxes APPEAR to place the
>  frames at the same height.  There are ten frames in each box and I am
>  conscious of the bee space.  But apparently there is a difference
>  between the equipment.  I think it could also be due to the size of the
>  colony, that they were bringing in nectar faster then they could draw
>  out the foundation on the new super??

    Yes, there are variations between manufacturers, and this can be a
problem, but it is not the main one.  I am always sad when I find burr comb.
It means that I did not have enough super space on the bees, and that I lost
part of the honeyflow.  Bees always need excess space well beyond what they
actually fill, because nectar has a lot of water. This nectar must be stored
somewhere, until the excess water is evaporated.   The top super, at least,
should be empty when the flow is over.

    It's a waste. It's like milking the cow, and letting the pail run over,
instead of getting another pail.

    It also means that they probably plugged the brood area, shutting down
the queen. I don't like to see brood production stop until fall when the
queen should be shutting down. If there is a break in the brood cycle early
in the season, you wind up with a lot of old bees. Diseases get concentrated;
bees get mean; and fall honey is not gathered, because the bees have dwindled.

   Each time you experience a hive that is jammed with burr comb, it is a
lesson to get on more supers, or get them on sooner the next year. And, if
the flow is still on, get more supers on quick!  It might be a good idea to
check the brood area. If it is plugged with honey, take out a couple frames,
and give that queen some empty comb to get her going again.

[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
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