3 frames filled in 2 weeks!( Shb though...)

The pictures I have shown are only two frames of the eight that are in the hive and those two are two of the three newest frame I added after I put my nook into my brood box…
In saying this is it possible that there are enough of the worker bee colm in the other frame s?

I just started this hive and I can’t believe that I already have to go in and do something major like cutting away comb in hopes that it gets rebuilt with a different type of comb is my only option?

Now that the three outer frames are built would moving them staggered in around the rest of the frames help any or because of the diameter of the comb size that was built then the queen will always lay a drone egg then?

Hey Matt, just so that you have the terminology right you ‘nook’ is actually called a ‘nuc’, short for a nucleus. As I said I would cut out the drone comb, if you leave them there they will emerge as a burden to the hive as they are big honey consumers and a hive can function perfectly with a dozen or two drones as their function is do mate with virgin queens from a different hive, ok. Cutting out drone comb is not a major thing, it is normal hive maintenance of a frame that has too many drone cells. The worker bees will quickly produce wax to make worker comb.
Any egg laid in a cell that is drone sized must become a drone. It is the size of the cell that dictates that, and not the queen. Any drone cell after the drone emerges will become another drone cell.
Hope I have explained that clearly for you Matt.
Cheers, Peter

Well I’ve tried watching some videos to help me identify between the different types of brood comb, but I’m not sure that I can identify it correctly so far today I’m just going to plan and try and put one or two beetle blasters in the top and keep my visit to the hive short and sweet until I can identify this for 100% certainty as to which part to cut out and remove…
Thanks for your guys’s insight, Matt

The large cells both in width and that stand much taller are drone comb. Had you used full foundation then you would have worker bees mainly but using no foundation lays the comb open to the making of an excess or done comb. Your own pics show clearly the drone comb on the top half of your 1st pic and covering much of the frame.
You have 3 options, remove that frame and reclaim the bees wax, cutting out the brood comb so that the bees will hopefully build worker sized comb or doing nothing which frankly is the worst option.
Yours is a very good example against not using foundation. But each to their own with good hive management. We have all given the same advice but the choices is for you to make. You could also ask a local bee keeper who will confirm the advice here, but as I have said, doing the right thing by your colony will repay you with less dramas down the road…
Peter

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Here is a picture of one of the original nuk frames.

I did not have time to cut the droan out today, but did install 2 beetle blasters ( really made me angry when I went to put them into in between the frames some oil spilled onto some bees and I believe killed them)
I removed as many dead ones as I could, only a small amount spilled so hopefully the other ones will be carried out by the stronger bees?

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The bees will clean up any that have oil on them, it is best to prize a gap between the frames you want to fit the SHB trap into. Sometimes you have to be a little cruel to make things right for the colony. Work smooth and slowly, that way the girls won’t be aggressive towards you. I even have to tell myself out loud to “slow down and take it easy”…
Nice pics Matt with a good coverage of bees.
Cheers

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Getting closer: It’s “nuc” short for nucleus hive.

Spelling is important incase someone searches for a “nuc”, they will be able to read this post.

Hi Peter, there seems to be some confusion as to the pronunciation of the word “nuc”. I’ve heard it pronounced like it should be spelt “nuck”, from more than one person.

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I have SHB in my hive. Enough that I’m paranoid about them, squish all I can find, have 2 beetle blaster traps each in both brood boxes and the honey super, and have wasp traps hung nearby. I also plan to salt the earth (salt and vinegar, as mentioned above) around my hive this week.

Those beetle blaster traps will fit. I used to give a quick puff of smoke to get the bees to run away, now I nudge them aside with my finger or sometimes gently with my hive tool if it’s already in my hand.

I put a bit of cider vinegar in the bottom, then mineral oil. I pour it in holding the trap to the side of the hive to avoid spills, but I’ve splashed once or twice installing and the bees seem to have survived. Never found any oil residue when going back in.

Those beetle blasters are thin plastic, and they will flex. Just slowly shove them in there. Nudge a little space between the frames if you need, but these days I just pop them in and stick the next box on top. I haven’t found squished bees around those, so the girls are smart enough to scurry.

And I’m a new at this, so take the next part with a grain of salt, but getting mad about anything while you are working with the bees is a bad plan. I swear the girls can tell, and it makes everything harder. And bees WILL die every time you get in the hive to do anything more than just lift the lid and look at one frame. You do all you can to avoid it, but once you start moving boxes around, someone is getting squished.

It sounds to me like the folks here are giving you great advice, totally in line with the advice I hear from my local experienced beekeepers. Cutting out drone brood is a thing for several reasons, and we chop ours out too.

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