3.21 - Transferring a colony onto clean comb

Question 1

Equipment for both Shook Swarm and Bailey Comb Change

Answer 1

1. A clean brood chamber, containing new frames of foundation
2. A queen excluder, crown board and floor (all clean).
3. A contact feeder and heavy sugar syrup. (1⁄2 litre of water to 1 kg of sugar)

Question 2

How often should you change comb 1

Answer 2

Ideally every two years. At least every three years

Question 3

Why replace comb

To remove/prevent:

1. Pathogens, insecticides, chemical buildup in wax
2. Old pupal skins (wax moth)
3. Smaller cells (layers of propolis)
4. Excessive amounts of inconveniently placed drone comb

To make:

1. More comb available for brood rearing
2. More comb helps prevent swarming (young bees are busy drawing foundation)

Answer 3

1. Build up of pathogens in wax
2. Wax impregnated with chemicals from varroa treatment, which could cause resistance in varroa
3. Wax can retain insecticides from environment
4. Curtails moth infestation (feed on pupae skins)
5. Cells get smaller with layers of propolis
6. Makes morecomb available for brood rearing.
7. Excessive amounts of or inconveniently placed drone comb
8. Drawing new comb helps in preventing swarming (young bees are busy drawing out foundation)

Question 4

Give three methods of replacing comb 3

Answer 4

1. Gradual replacement
2. Bailey comb change
3. Shook swarm

Question 5

How do you replace frames gradually? 4

Answer 5

1. Aim to replace 4 frames a year
2. During the year move older comb to edge of box and add new foundation to outside of brood nest.
3. Do not break up brood nest.
4. Cut out and burn old comb. Boil frames in washing soda and reuse.

Question 6

Describe a method of changing a complete box of frames for a strong colony keeping brood 6 with supplementaries

4 weeks

Answer 6

1. Bailey Frame Change for STRONG colony
   
   1. The bees are moved onto clean comb over 28 days
   2. Pro. None of the brood is lost.
   3. Cons. Nurse bees continue walk on dirty comb and doesn’t remove varroa
   4. Do in spring, when colony expanding (adapt for a weak/nosema colony)
2. Week 1.
   
   1. Place a new brood box clean foundation over existing brood box giving queen access to both boxes.
   2. Supers above queen excluder as normal.
   3. Do NOT feed through supers. If no flow, clear and remove supers, and feed the bees 1:1 syrup.
3. Week 2.
   
   1. Ensure queen is in upper brood box and laying; if not, move her up her frame and put her in the middle of the clean box.
   2. Between the two brood boxes place a second queen excluder, then an eke with an entrance facing the same way, confining queen to clean brood box.
   3. Close the lower entrance with foam and tape.
   4. The foragers will return through the top entrance.
   5. Only the nurse bees to walk on the dirty comb.
4. Week 3. Check the lower brood box for queen cells and remove them all.
5. Week 4. Remove old brood box (everything should have emerged), shaking out bees out into clean brood box, give the hive a new floor, add supers as necessary and close up.
6. Cut out and burn old comb. Steam brood box, empty frames, queen excluder and eke.

Question 7

A colony fails to build up in the spring and severe Nosema is confirmed. What remedial action should be taken by the beekeeper to return this colony to good health. 10

Answer 7

Clean combs are essential. With a weak colony, perform an ADAPTED Bailey frame change as follows:

1. Remove unoccupied peripheral brood combs without disturbing the brood nest.
2. Remove the frame with the queen (leaving, let’s say, 3 frames of brood). Insert dummy boards tight to each side of remaining frames
3. Place queen excluder, eke with entrance over old box,
4. Place clean brood box with Queen on her frame + 2 drawn combs right above brood frames below.
5. Pack with dummy boards close up and contain warmth.
6. Close the bottom entrance and feed in a contact feeder in small quantities to draw out comb
7. As soon as Queen moves off the dirty frame in the new box, move it down below and replace with another frame of drawn comb.
8. Build up frames gradually
9. As the bees emerge from dirty box, remove empty brood frames and close up with dummy boards.
10. After 21 days remove whole dirty box, eke and queen excluder. Place clean box on clean OMF
11. Cut out and burn the old comb. Scorch the queen excluder and dirty brood box. Boil the old brood frames in washing soda solution 1kg:5l.

Question 8

Describe a method of changing a complete box of frames immediately. You can lose the brood 13

Answer 8

1. Shook swarm on a STRONG colony
   
   1. The whole colony is shaken from dirty combs onto fresh foundation in a clean hive. The brood is sacrificed, along with any varroa in cells.
   2. Only suitable for strong colonies. Not on a colony with nosema
   3. Do in late spring/early summer so bees have time to draw out comb, forage and prepare for winter.
   4. Pro: Colony gets a dramatic boost: many diseases, inc EFB, chalk brood and varroa in cells are cleaned out.
   5. Con: You lose all the brood
2. Move old hive to one side and place clean floor on original site with a QE on top to prevent the queen absconding until there is brood. Add a clean brood box with fresh foundation. Remove 3-4 frames.
3. In old box, find the queen, cage her and keep her safe.
4. Remove each frame in turn, and shake it sharply into gap to dislodge the bees, brushing all bees off with a handful of grass.
5. Place empty frames in a spare box and cover to prevent flying bees landing on them.
6. Knock any bees in the original box, floor and cover into the clean box.
7. Replace empty frames very gently to avoid squishing bees.
8. Release the queen into the colony via the top bars and cover with a crown board
9. Add a rapid feeder in the eke with 1:1 sugar syrup to help the bees draw out the foundation.
10. Replace the roof.
11. When the queen has started laying, remove the QE from the bottom
12. Continue to feed as necessary until most of foundation is drawn.
13. Consider varroa treatment.

Question 9

Sugar syrup quantities

Answer 9

Feed in the right concentration:

1: 1 for immediate use; Spring, drawing out comb
2: 1 when laying down stores; Autumn