# Comb building below a frame **URL:** \ **Category:** Beekeeping - Basics\ **Created:** [August 20, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/comb-building-below-a-frame/8274 "2016-08-20T14:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 8
**Author:** ![Dawn\_SD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/dawn_sd/32/15954_2.png) [@Dawn\_SD](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Dawn_SD)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2016, 5:16pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/comb-building-below-a-frame/8274/8 "2016-08-20T17:16:51Z")
> [@Mark\_Simmons](#): > > I’ll try as you all suggest by cutting the comb off and banding it to an upper box frame This post on another thread has a photo of how to do it: > [@Caught a birdhouse swarm, hived it, left it alone, and now the bees are in the wrong place](http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/caught-a-birdhouse-swarm-hived-it-left-it-alone-and-now-the-bees-are-in-the-wrong-place/7857/3): > > As you have already worked out, they consider the birdhouse to be their hive/home. They will not leave it willingly. If you put it inside a bigger box, they will just try to fill up the gaps with comb again but they will keep using the birdhouse. You cannot stop them from doing that, they are just being normal bees! blush I am worried that you will end up with a mess if you do that. I would suggest a cut-out instead. Take the comb from the inner cover and rubber band it into the empty frame… > [@Mark\_Simmons](#): > > I’ll need to keep top box space as tight as possible using as many frames as I can fit around to prevent her continuing to build out on the comb If you put the cut comb into empty frames nice and straight, they will fill any gaps around the edge and continue using the comb. Eventually it will look like they had foundation in that frame. 😉 If you have enough comb for several frames, put it into several. I wouldn’t try to block the space in the upper box, just put the bees’ own rubber banded comb in the middle of the box, then put frames of foundation on either side. When they need the space, they will expand out sideways. > [@Mark\_Simmons](#): > > I can provide a full set of frames in box below I wouldn’t do that until the first box is completely full of pulled comb and bees. If you give them too much space too quickly, they won’t be able to defend it against robbers, wax moths and other pests. > [@Mark\_Simmons](#): > > I guess that I should continue to feed them Definitely > [@Mark\_Simmons](#): > > All I need now is a source of very large rubber bands… They don’t have to be very large. You don’t want to put multiple adjacent wafers of comb into just one frame. You will be cutting them so that one comb wafer fits in one frame. In the US, people use number 33 (3.5" x 1/8") [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connect-Number-500gm-Rubber-Band/dp/B000NM8SNG/ref=sr\_1\_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1471713223&sr=8-11&keywords=rubber+band](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connect-Number-500gm-Rubber-Band/dp/B000NM8SNG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1471713223&sr=8-11&keywords=rubber+band) or 117 (7" x 1/8"). Make sure that you use the natural rubber ones, not sure if bees will chew through the non-latex type! --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/comb-building-below-a-frame/8274)._