What are the consequence of having cross linked frames? In the brood box the job of the queen is to lay eggs and all other tasks support the queen and ensure bees hatch to continue the existence of the hive .
I’m thinking if my frames are not within the beespace and there are cross linked frames will this just be an inconvenience to the hive making it less efficient and as a consequence less bees in the hive Or will it have more dire consequences.
If the brood box is thriving, so what the heck if there is cross linkage?
None to the bees, but it makes it difficult for you to take the frames out to inspect and a lot of work/squashed bees sorting the frames out when you really HAVE to look in.
Dee is soooo correct ! Cross linking or bridging comb is a real PAIN for any beek trying to work his colony. Always the best idea to try n clean up frames as time n weather permits. Pulling frames bridged together pulled cells apart as well. Do your best to prevent bridge. This is not a perfect world even in the bee world so this is called working the hives.
I am looking forward to getting back into these problems with great anticipation ! Take care Busso n Thankz Dee !
To ensure you can easily manage the brood chamber, you definitely need to at least look in, as @Dee said. Usually they build nice, straight combs in the first box, however, I like to say that the bees don’t care about you and they certainly don’t ask permission. In the wild their don’t build straight combs. They build combs going every which way. Thankfully they usually follow the wedge guides at the top of the foundationless frames. If you do fine them beginning to go crooked, you should intervene immediately. Never let it get worse, otherwise it will continue to get worse, and worse until you can’t remove an individual comb.
I personally have dozens of foundationless hives and I find they work great. They just require a little more management early on. Once they are going right, and you have a stock of straight combs, it’s very easy to continue getting straight combs. In fact, in subsequent hives you can give combs from other hives or dead hives to the new colonies, alternating empty frames and built frames and the bees CAN’T build crooked combs.
[quote=“beethinking, post:6, topic:4967”]
Usually they build nice, straight combs in the first box
[/quote] Thanks Max,
They seem to be doing that fine. I was thinking(sometimes I do too much thinking) that if the brood box fills before I put on my super will they just go and find somewhere, like between frames maybe a fraction wide, to continue.
I don’t think that you are thinking too much. If they need more brood space, and you don’t notice, they will swarm. If they need more honey storage space, and you don’t notice, they will swarm too. If you give too much space and too little food, they will die. So it is all a balance. You have to observe and learn, as you are. So far, I think you are doing great. Keep it up!
Good evening Dawn, you say nice things.
What you say puts me into deep thinking mode. I don’t think I can wait a week to look again. There is so much pollen coming in the girls are sort of waddling into the hive with these great sacks I don’t want them to swarm.
