At 01:45 PM 6/12/96 +0000, you wrote:
>  REGARDING           RE>Burr comb between frames
>
>Doug Robertson wrote:
>"We're beginners at all this.  We installed our bees into their hive
>successfully, but we are having a problem with the workers bridging between
>the top bars and hanging a comb from it between the frames.  When a frame is
>removed from the super the burr comb breaks off.  The frames are pushed as
>close together as they will go. We hate to see them wasting all this energy.
>How can we prvent this?"
>
>Using some drawn comb, as was suggested, is an excellent idea.  However, if
>you only have foundation at this point, sometimes the problem with burr comb
>occurs if the foundation is not hanging completely vertical (is bowed to one
>side).  You may want to check this, and if it is the case, just reverse a
>frame or two.  Otherwise, you'll just have to live with it and cut out the
>extra comb.  I assume you are using the full ten frames.  This is necessary
>for foundation, but when it is drawn out I always reduce to nine frames for
>brood chambers and eight for supers.
>
>Ted Fischer
>
Hi Doug and Ted
 
I have been trying different stains of bees ,Yugos, 3 banded Italian, yellow
Italian etc., and I have come across 2 strains that build burr comb between
the frames in the brood nest.  One has so much burr comb between the frames
it appears impossible for the bees to go above the brood nest.  However this
colony is in a single brood chamber, has 10 frames of brood, and is now
working in their 5th super.  Based on this,  I've decided not to worry about
the burr comb.
 
Frank Humphrey
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