# Getting ready for winter: remove comb or not?
**URL:** https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658
**Category:** Beekeeping - Basics
**Tags:** wintering-bees
**Created:** [April 11, 2023, 4:25am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658 "2023-04-11T04:25:22Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 11, 2023, 4:25am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/1 "2023-04-11T04:25:22Z")
Hi
I have two flow hives that I set up last December with two nucs. I planned to have two brood boxes to help them get through the Canberra winter, but they did not fill the second brood box with comb. I expected they would not build any new comb in autumn, so I removed the box. I have been feeding them with sugar syrup using a top feeder. In their wisdom, they have started to build comb on top of the frames and even inside the top feeder! I took the feeder off and removed the comb but left the honey on top of the frames for now. I left the top feeder frame because I could not get the lid back on.
My questions are: should I remove the honey from the top or leave it for the bees to use in winter? Should I keep feeding?
Still learning a lot; any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Rainer
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### Author:  [@Rmcpb](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rmcpb)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2023, 4:46am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/2 "2023-04-12T04:46:23Z")
Please take some photos and post them, they will help us giving advice.
As they were still building comb when you were feeding I would be tempted to add a shallow super and feed them to see if they would fill it to get through winter, your winters are not very nice! Using foundation frames so they have less to do would also be a good idea. Also, add a few drops of food colour to your 2:1 syrup so you can tell it from nectar.
Cheers
Rob.
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### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2023, 4:47am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/3 "2023-04-12T04:47:13Z")
ok will do as soon as I can
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2023, 11:35pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/4 "2023-04-13T23:35:28Z")
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### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/5 "2023-04-13T23:36:02Z")
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### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/6 "2023-04-13T23:36:32Z")
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### Author:  [@James7](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/James7)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/7 "2023-04-14T03:32:17Z")
Just one quick question,
Do you have the cover lid?
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### Author:  [@Rainer\_Reuss](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Rainer_Reuss)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/getting-ready-for-winter-remove-comb-or-not/34658/8 "2023-04-14T04:35:23Z")
Yes, but the comb on top of the frames is too high to put on without the (unpainted in the photo) box that holds the top feeder tray