I think those foundations didn't have enough wax. I'd just shake the bees off those wonky frames and smash the wax onto the frames. They'll fix it. Keep your frames tightly squeezed together and centered. It's past the new comb building time of the year. With foundationless frames, I rarely have weird combs like those. It's not as intimidating as some think. I have a bunch of videos showing how I do it.
Despite being impressive, get that massive comb out of there. It is part of the problem. 2nd problem is the bowed or warped foundation. It appears it doesn't fit or is otherwise improperly installed. Replace it with straight foundation. Often, these problems occur with cheap foundation imported from China. They are known to mix paraffin or orher contaminants in with the beeswax. Once they start drawing it out wonky, it is hard to get them to change just but taking out the wonky piece. Scrape it all the way down to bare foundation for about 1" on either side. Re wax by scrubbing with a beeswax crayon. To fix the problem for sure, pull up about 3 or 4 frames of brood from the bottom and checkerboard foundation in the top and bottom. There is no problem splitting the brood when it is warm overnight. Good luck. BTW, color makes no difference, it is dark inside the hive.
If you want to get them to build neat straight comb, even without foundation, just pop an empty frame *between two brood comb*, the bees hate having empty space between brood comb, and they will fill up the blanks as soon as they can, without widening the surrounding combs into the empty space like with honey frames. Getting a box full of foundation is almost impossible to get drawn, especially with plastic foundation, but what I've done this summer (and this was completely without foundation!) is checkerboard empty frames between brood comb. With this, I've almost doubled my drawn frames within a single season, and without almost zero issues with wonky comb. Some are still only half drawn by this point, but they all have started straight, and I haven't even done supplementary feeding yet, so I figure the bees will finish those up by fall.
take a paint brush and paint wax on those foundations. most use black foundation in the brood box so its easier to see the eggs. yellow in the honey super so its easier to see the honey. but when painting those foundations make sure its pure beeswax not the china stuff. but keep it up. i know how you fell i am trying to build my channel like you are doing. keep on and remember let the bees be bees.
I enjoy your videos more than the “experts” videos. Very honest and basic. I have two hives and went completely away from black foundation and it worked better. I have no reason why. As for the wonky comb, which I’ve got, I think they build it the way they want. My wonky comb is in the brood box so I don’t worry because that’s the way they wanted it. Please keep up the good work and keep making videos!!! This is the first year I’ve wax coated. Wish I had done it in the past. I think it helps them concentrate on honey making and less time on having to make wax.
First time seeing your channel and first video. Fact is that you cannot make Bees create comb, they have to (want to make it) even feeding them strong sugar water does not guarantee they will build comb (they have to want to do it and you need to have a sizeable number of young born (1week to 3weeks age) workers as this is wax building age. --------- (Wonky Comb) some hives bees seem to love to make wonky comb and other hives do not and that hive may always make some until you get a new Queen and her new workers take over. Best thing to do is to cut out wonky comb as you see it every 2-3 weeks when you do an inspection and always keep the frames tight together to the middle as gaps between frames can make them build wonky comb more often. -------- (Black Foundation) - Only reason for having black foundation is it makes it tons easier to see eggs especially for us people that need to wear glasses, no real reason for black foundation other than seeing brood and also bees do not care if its black or yellow.
Hi from central Otago southern New Zealand 👋 heres my two cents worth 😂 theyre "wild drawing". Thats what they do in a tree hollow or anywhere else they have to pull comb from nothing. i suspect there isnt anywhere near enough wax on those plastic foundation sheets. Ill tell you straight out i don't care what color plastic foundation is i loathe it with a vengeance i use full sheet wax foundation myself but as long as its got a good decent coat of wax on it, the bee's don't give a stuff what color it is. Plastic foundation is a love it or hate it personal preference thing. Some beekeepers swear by it, some don't. Its in the same camp as bannanas. I wouldn't put a banana within ten miles if a hive myself because they smell exactly like alarm pheromone but some people swear by them. I know a few beekeepers i follow from the USA use premiere brand triple coated plastic foundation and have stopped having problems with wonky comb. Ok, so that was ten cents worth not two cents but we don't have two cent coins in new Zealand anymore👍😂
100% agree and also agree about the bananas. Will never go near my hives with a banana. Too risky and no benefit that has actually been proven. I wax heavily now and supply sugar water. its helped tremendously
I noticed that you did not have your frames in that box squeezed together towards the center of the box; that most likely is the issue...there is too much space between the frames, so the bees are filling the spaces that are too wide/wider than normal. I would remove the wax from the frames, which you did, & put in empty frames where needed. I would remove the oversized honey frame, because it is taking up too much space, remove it & insert an empty frame...don't worry they will fill it. Also, a surplus of 'goods' increases the chances of your colony swarming, best to remove that 30+ lb frame of honey & let them start a new one that is built properly.
Even if I get waxed foundation I always put another coat on myself. Put it on thick with a 4 inch foam roller. When you let a little drain off of the roller don't hold it horizontal, all the wax will go to one side. Then you'll have spots with wax then without wax on your foundation. Hold the roller vertical and flip flop it a few times then roll it on. Gets a nice even coat that way. If you don't have wax just try to find some till you build your stock up. Sometimes if there's no flow bees will pick the wax off of the foundation and use it somewhere else ( that's what I believe they do). I haven't had much trouble since I started putting it on thick.
Try to put the foundation frames between already built out ones. The reason they dont build them nicely is that there is too much space if you put two foundation frames next to each other.
I have the same issue. Add more wax to your frames and keep removing they will start correcting make sure your frames are tight together and there is no bee space. I know its frustrating. My very first hive had wonky comb so bad I gave up on the bottom box added a new box and they drew out the second box beautifully. Second hive no issues but 3rd hive has a few frames of wonky comb
Enjoyed your previous video on the feeder boxes. Hope you waxed them frames up really well. I don’t suggest it only pulling for you. I need to get me a cooling vest for next year it’s hot here in the south
I am new to be keeping also, but one thing I noticed is that your foundations are warped or bode and if they’re like that and it creates a bubble between the frames, they’ll just work side to side and fill in the bubble. I noticed that on my bees when I was using some pure plastic frames that were warped
Why? Your answer is at 10:38. See the right side of the frame. Read what Bee space is. One thing I don't understand is why people spend hundreds of dollars on bees and a hive and then pack some plastic crap into the hive, saving $1 dollar on frame. Put a natural wax foundation and see what the bees can do with it.
Your hive looks level but if it does have a bit of a slop this can cause wonky comb and the comb can lean towards the way it leans I had this but mine was leaning and not level so worth a check with a level
WAX!! At 11:38 you can see that you did not have the foundation seated in the groove of the frame making the foundation bow out. It is tough to learn all the little things in beekeeping but it comes if you look for more info. Good luck.
It's important to wax the foundation properly before letting them use it to prevent this mazelike buildup of comb. Personally, i prefer to use wax foundation instead of plastic. Bees always stick to the pattern on wax foundation and i don't need to paint wax nor could i accidentally miss a spot.
Just wondering where you’re located? Can you go to a bee club and find a mentors? You need someone to come over and help you out! There are several things that would help but most have been mentioned above! Good luck!
I find that I HAVE TO at least triple coat any plastic frames....by putting them in there without doing that you are asking them to repeat the same wonky stuff.....I'm OLD school and we only had wax foundation when I began (and it was before we had mites too)...when I got back into it I quickly figured out that I had to put at least a double coat of wax on them...when I did that...boom they began drawing them out perfectly......there are lots of videos on how to wax your plastic foundation.... check out Kamon Reynolds and look for his videos on waxing foundation. I would get on this fast or your going to see the same thing again......
Color doesn't matter. Tried it all. They only draw comb when they need. Heavy nectar flow. Gallon a week is not enough syrup to get them to draw comb, a gallon every 2 or 3 days. Get a hive topnfeeder that holds 2 or 3 gallons. I like the cerricel ones. Wonky comb is either uneven wax or frames not tight enough together. Good luck. BTW not honey, it's syrup.
First thing is you are putting on more foundation than they can use. Wait until they have all or all but one or two frames of foundation drawn out before putting a new box full of foundation on top.
Opps, forgot to mention, i see a few people saying it's past your comb drawing time, if you want the bees to draw comb and you're in a dearth period, feed them up big time with syrup, really pack it into them and theyll pull comb but theres a increase in the robbing risk be aware of that. Kamon Reynolds has a North American video about drawing comb in a nectar dearth, that might be worth a watch for you. 👋 What a great location to have hives, its really awesome in the video 👍👋
@@beeman1246 Quit feeding bananas feed pollen patties, watch competent beekeepers like Kamon Reynolds, Bob Binnie, the internet is full of fool ideas like this.
@@BackyardBeesNC Someone did a PhD on this subject, so it's not some fantasy. All you need is a little willingness to gain some knowledge about beekeeping. In order to discuss, comment and criticize, it is good to know what you are writing.
@@beeman1246 I'll be a Master Beekeeper soon, thanks. Don't feed bees bananas lol, maybe outside, but not inside that's bananas. I read about it, it's still stupid.
I think those foundations didn't have enough wax. I'd just shake the bees off those wonky frames and smash the wax onto the frames. They'll fix it. Keep your frames tightly squeezed together and centered. It's past the new comb building time of the year. With foundationless frames, I rarely have weird combs like those. It's not as intimidating as some think. I have a bunch of videos showing how I do it.
Despite being impressive, get that massive comb out of there. It is part of the problem. 2nd problem is the bowed or warped foundation. It appears it doesn't fit or is otherwise improperly installed. Replace it with straight foundation. Often, these problems occur with cheap foundation imported from China. They are known to mix paraffin or orher contaminants in with the beeswax. Once they start drawing it out wonky, it is hard to get them to change just but taking out the wonky piece. Scrape it all the way down to bare foundation for about 1" on either side. Re wax by scrubbing with a beeswax crayon. To fix the problem for sure, pull up about 3 or 4 frames of brood from the bottom and checkerboard foundation in the top and bottom. There is no problem splitting the brood when it is warm overnight. Good luck. BTW, color makes no difference, it is dark inside the hive.
If you want to get them to build neat straight comb, even without foundation, just pop an empty frame *between two brood comb*, the bees hate having empty space between brood comb, and they will fill up the blanks as soon as they can, without widening the surrounding combs into the empty space like with honey frames.
Getting a box full of foundation is almost impossible to get drawn, especially with plastic foundation, but what I've done this summer (and this was completely without foundation!) is checkerboard empty frames between brood comb. With this, I've almost doubled my drawn frames within a single season, and without almost zero issues with wonky comb. Some are still only half drawn by this point, but they all have started straight, and I haven't even done supplementary feeding yet, so I figure the bees will finish those up by fall.
take a paint brush and paint wax on those foundations. most use black foundation in the brood box so its easier to see the eggs. yellow in the honey super so its easier to see the honey. but when painting those foundations make sure its pure beeswax not the china stuff. but keep it up. i know how you fell i am trying to build my channel like you are doing. keep on and remember let the bees be bees.
I enjoy your videos more than the “experts” videos. Very honest and basic. I have two hives and went completely away from black foundation and it worked better. I have no reason why. As for the wonky comb, which I’ve got, I think they build it the way they want. My wonky comb is in the brood box so I don’t worry because that’s the way they wanted it. Please keep up the good work and keep making videos!!! This is the first year I’ve wax coated. Wish I had done it in the past. I think it helps them concentrate on honey making and less time on having to make wax.
Take the medium box off until next year. You're giving them too much work to do too late in the season.
I’m looking to start my beekeeping journey next year. Right now I’m just reading books, taking classes, and watching videos like yours is a big help!
First time seeing your channel and first video. Fact is that you cannot make Bees create comb, they have to (want to make it) even feeding them strong sugar water does not guarantee they will build comb (they have to want to do it and you need to have a sizeable number of young born (1week to 3weeks age) workers as this is wax building age. --------- (Wonky Comb) some hives bees seem to love to make wonky comb and other hives do not and that hive may always make some until you get a new Queen and her new workers take over. Best thing to do is to cut out wonky comb as you see it every 2-3 weeks when you do an inspection and always keep the frames tight together to the middle as gaps between frames can make them build wonky comb more often. -------- (Black Foundation) - Only reason for having black foundation is it makes it tons easier to see eggs especially for us people that need to wear glasses, no real reason for black foundation other than seeing brood and also bees do not care if its black or yellow.
Hi from central Otago southern New Zealand 👋 heres my two cents worth 😂 theyre "wild drawing". Thats what they do in a tree hollow or anywhere else they have to pull comb from nothing. i suspect there isnt anywhere near enough wax on those plastic foundation sheets. Ill tell you straight out i don't care what color plastic foundation is i loathe it with a vengeance i use full sheet wax foundation myself but as long as its got a good decent coat of wax on it, the bee's don't give a stuff what color it is. Plastic foundation is a love it or hate it personal preference thing. Some beekeepers swear by it, some don't. Its in the same camp as bannanas. I wouldn't put a banana within ten miles if a hive myself because they smell exactly like alarm pheromone but some people swear by them. I know a few beekeepers i follow from the USA use premiere brand triple coated plastic foundation and have stopped having problems with wonky comb. Ok, so that was ten cents worth not two cents but we don't have two cent coins in new Zealand anymore👍😂
100% agree and also agree about the bananas. Will never go near my hives with a banana. Too risky and no benefit that has actually been proven. I wax heavily now and supply sugar water. its helped tremendously
@@christies4963 awesome 😄
I noticed that you did not have your frames in that box squeezed together towards the center of the box; that most likely is the issue...there is too much space between the frames, so the bees are filling the spaces that are too wide/wider than normal. I would remove the wax from the frames, which you did, & put in empty frames where needed. I would remove the oversized honey frame, because it is taking up too much space, remove it & insert an empty frame...don't worry they will fill it. Also, a surplus of 'goods' increases the chances of your colony swarming, best to remove that 30+ lb frame of honey & let them start a new one that is built properly.
Even if I get waxed foundation I always put another coat on myself. Put it on thick with a 4 inch foam roller. When you let a little drain off of the roller don't hold it horizontal, all the wax will go to one side. Then you'll have spots with wax then without wax on your foundation. Hold the roller vertical and flip flop it a few times then roll it on. Gets a nice even coat that way. If you don't have wax just try to find some till you build your stock up. Sometimes if there's no flow bees will pick the wax off of the foundation and use it somewhere else ( that's what I believe they do). I haven't had much trouble since I started putting it on thick.
Try to put the foundation frames between already built out ones. The reason they dont build them nicely is that there is too much space if you put two foundation frames next to each other.
I have the same issue. Add more wax to your frames and keep removing they will start correcting make sure your frames are tight together and there is no bee space. I know its frustrating. My very first hive had wonky comb so bad I gave up on the bottom box added a new box and they drew out the second box beautifully. Second hive no issues but 3rd hive has a few frames of wonky comb
Enjoyed your previous video on the feeder boxes. Hope you waxed them frames up really well. I don’t suggest it only pulling for you. I need to get me a cooling vest for next year it’s hot here in the south
Yes it is very hot. the heat has for sure set in.
I am new to be keeping also, but one thing I noticed is that your foundations are warped or bode and if they’re like that and it creates a bubble between the frames, they’ll just work side to side and fill in the bubble. I noticed that on my bees when I was using some pure plastic frames that were warped
Why? Your answer is at 10:38. See the right side of the frame. Read what Bee space is. One thing I don't understand is why people spend hundreds of dollars on bees and a hive and then pack some plastic crap into the hive, saving $1 dollar on frame. Put a natural wax foundation and see what the bees can do with it.
Your hive looks level but if it does have a bit of a slop this can cause wonky comb and the comb can lean towards the way it leans I had this but mine was leaning and not level so worth a check with a level
WAX!!
At 11:38 you can see that you did not have the foundation seated in the groove of the frame making the foundation bow out. It is tough to learn all the little things in beekeeping but it comes if you look for more info. Good luck.
It's important to wax the foundation properly before letting them use it to prevent this mazelike buildup of comb. Personally, i prefer to use wax foundation instead of plastic. Bees always stick to the pattern on wax foundation and i don't need to paint wax nor could i accidentally miss a spot.
Just wondering where you’re located? Can you go to a bee club and find a mentors? You need someone to come over and help you out! There are several things that would help but most have been mentioned above! Good luck!
Watch david Burns master beekeeper
I find that I HAVE TO at least triple coat any plastic frames....by putting them in there without doing that you are asking them to repeat the same wonky stuff.....I'm OLD school and we only had wax foundation when I began (and it was before we had mites too)...when I got back into it I quickly figured out that I had to put at least a double coat of wax on them...when I did that...boom they began drawing them out perfectly......there are lots of videos on how to wax your plastic foundation.... check out Kamon Reynolds and look for his videos on waxing foundation. I would get on this fast or your going to see the same thing again......
Dude your foundations are not seated in your frames, they’re bowed and warped
The thing people like more about Black foundation is that you can see eggs better
Color doesn't matter. Tried it all. They only draw comb when they need. Heavy nectar flow. Gallon a week is not enough syrup to get them to draw comb, a gallon every 2 or 3 days. Get a hive topnfeeder that holds 2 or 3 gallons. I like the cerricel ones. Wonky comb is either uneven wax or frames not tight enough together. Good luck. BTW not honey, it's syrup.
Try using all wax Fondation, no plastic. It's all I have ever used. I have been doing this for over 30 years.
👋Hi Darren😁
🖐👱♂️Hey. Thanks for saying hi
First thing is you are putting on more foundation than they can use. Wait until they have all or all but one or two frames of foundation drawn out before putting a new box full of foundation on top.
You need to coat them with wax heavy wax roll it on heavy.
Remove foundations and seat them then checker board them with bottom vox
Not vox but box,got big fingers😊
Opps, forgot to mention, i see a few people saying it's past your comb drawing time, if you want the bees to draw comb and you're in a dearth period, feed them up big time with syrup, really pack it into them and theyll pull comb but theres a increase in the robbing risk be aware of that. Kamon Reynolds has a North American video about drawing comb in a nectar dearth, that might be worth a watch for you. 👋 What a great location to have hives, its really awesome in the video 👍👋
Looks like you need to add wax to the foundation. Feed them 1:1
Bananas? why would you feed bees bananas?
@@BackyardBeesNC Why do people eat bananas? Do you think bees are that different?
@@beeman1246 Quit feeding bananas feed pollen patties, watch competent beekeepers like Kamon Reynolds, Bob Binnie, the internet is full of fool ideas like this.
@@BackyardBeesNC Someone did a PhD on this subject, so it's not some fantasy. All you need is a little willingness to gain some knowledge about beekeeping. In order to discuss, comment and criticize, it is good to know what you are writing.
@@beeman1246 I'll be a Master Beekeeper soon, thanks. Don't feed bees bananas lol, maybe outside, but not inside that's bananas. I read about it, it's still stupid.