To follow up on my last comment though. At the right time of year with a nucleus of a few combs and a good stock of bees inc wax workers giving them foundation is fine. But with a cast, or even with a nucleus in poor weather/bad flow, you shouldn't intersperse with foundation comb. Best to wait for capped brood/better weather and then add a comb every couple of weeks, but only old built comb rather than foundation. Balance queen laying, waxworkers, nursery care, nectar flow and feeding.
You put straw or some means of restricting the entrance on a smaller colony of bees that are being fed syrup so that they can better defend their hive from attack from wasps and other bees. Thanks for the vid though, as it helped me remember.I was a beekeeper 20 years ago, then found a cast recently and put it on 4 old combs I had. Watching this reminded me that when all brood is capped I can intersperse the current combs with empties and that will give the queen space to lay more quickly.
starring R. martin...too funny
stu1miester 9 months ago
OK so you are basically dumping bees from one box into another.
Safet 2 years ago
To follow up on my last comment though. At the right time of year with a nucleus of a few combs and a good stock of bees inc wax workers giving them foundation is fine. But with a cast, or even with a nucleus in poor weather/bad flow, you shouldn't intersperse with foundation comb. Best to wait for capped brood/better weather and then add a comb every couple of weeks, but only old built comb rather than foundation. Balance queen laying, waxworkers, nursery care, nectar flow and feeding.
ringadingadan 2 years ago
You put straw or some means of restricting the entrance on a smaller colony of bees that are being fed syrup so that they can better defend their hive from attack from wasps and other bees. Thanks for the vid though, as it helped me remember.I was a beekeeper 20 years ago, then found a cast recently and put it on 4 old combs I had. Watching this reminded me that when all brood is capped I can intersperse the current combs with empties and that will give the queen space to lay more quickly.
ringadingadan 2 years ago
Very instructive. It looks like a easy way to start a new hive quickly.
theblackhen 2 years ago