# bees not drawing comb



## Fowkes (Jun 19, 2010)

Hey folks. If anyone has any advice, I'd gladly hear it. This is only my second season with bees. I split a hive this year and everyone is doing well, except that I added the first honey super onto the split three weeks ago and they are still not drawing any comb on the frames (waxed). I'm double brooding, and both broods are jam packed with brood/honey, but they just don't seem to be interested in the new frames. I thought that maybe they couldn't get past the queen excluder (there were almost no bees in the super at all), but I then watched a few pass back and fourth. I've taken a partially drawn fram from another hive and substituted it for one of the new ones in the hope that the bees will get the hint.

Suggestions?


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## geebob (Apr 4, 2011)

Might just not be time yet... seems like we're a few weeks behind here. A strong hive that I supered three weeks ago has just started storing honey in their supers this week. I thought they'd never get around to it.

Good idea on adding the partially drawn frame as that might give them some encouragement. You can also try spraying with sugar water as that definitely seems to encourage them to explore the frames. I don't use excluders, so I'm not sure if that is part of the problem or not.


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## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

turn the excluder sideways for a couple weeks with the ends sticking out the sides, brush or spray the foundation with sugar syrup for faster acceptance


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Suggestion: get rid of the excluder. It's completely unnecessary.


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## MDS (Jan 9, 2011)

Had the same problem. Of course assumes you are in at least a partial flow. I removed the excluder until they started building out the comb. Actually, I kept checking the super to make sure the queen had not moved up, they built out the comb and filled it with honey so I left the excluder off in two hives as she should not pass over the honey. 

I also propped up the inner cover (which also raises the outer cover) with a stick to give them an upper entrance. If you have a strong hive and are in at least a partial flow they should be building in the honey super unless there is a number of empty frames not yet built in your brood boxes. 

Take the excluder off for now and give them an upper entrance. See how it works for you. If she lays in the honey super you can force her down to the brood area and put the excluder on. When the bees emerge in the honey super problem fixed.


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## Fowkes (Jun 19, 2010)

Thanks for all the tips. I checked in on them a few hours after adding the new pre-drawn frame (with a bit of honey in it), and the bees were all over it, as well as the nearest non-drawn frames. So that might have done the trick. If not, I'll try removing the excluder and see how that goes.


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## honeybeekeeper (Mar 3, 2010)

My first year i used the excluder and after a few weeks i seen that they wasnt drawing any comb i took the excluder off and they decided to move up and start drawing comb without the excluder! Ever since that incident i dont use the excluder anymore!


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

It never hurts to add a frame of comb in with the foundation and to leave the excluder off until they get going. Of course, if they don't feel the need for space, they won't draw much comb.


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