# Rubber Banding Comb into Frames?



## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

It depends on the flow and wax makers as to how long before they attach the comb, but usually not long at all. The bees will chew and remove the rubber bands.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I have never seen them attach the rubber band to the comb, they usually just lay right on the surface of the comb. Make sure that you put the comb in the frame so that the cells are slanted upward at the outside, not downward. They attach the comb to the wood pretty quickly, but over time they will reinforce it more and more and chew out the rubber bands. Some rubber bands never get removed completely as they propolize them down to the tops of the frames, you I end up taking them out myself.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Its amazing to watch the bees making a herculean effort to drag the rubber bands out the front entrance. The whole job must be like moving statues on Easter Island or construction at Machu Picchu.


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## sterling (Nov 14, 2013)

Go to youtube videos of JPthebeeman and watch him do cutouts for a demo of rubberbanding comb.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Actually you cut the comb to fit the frame. Hold the comb in the frame while you put the rubber bands around the frame vertically.


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

And then you will always have that one chew the rubber bands before they attach the comb. It was a mess


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Good info so far.
I tend to run 4 rubber bands on each frame vertically like stated before. I like to install them just before the cutout and move them towads the end bars. Then just pull them over the comb once it is in the frame. Sometimes I will make an X pattern over the comb.
It only takes a few days for bridge comb to start forming. Like Frank said, it is cool to watch one bee pull the rubber band out the front door.


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## philip.devos (Aug 10, 2013)

marant said:


> In reading posts I see a lot of references to 'use rubber bands to hold (salvaged) comb into frames' but have never seen an explanation. I presume it means to wrap large rubber bands around the frame vertically, then wedge the comb inside, is this correct? How long does it usually take the bees to construct bridge comb between the frame and the existing comb? Do they incorporate the rubber bands into the comb, or can they be easily removed?


Watch this YOUTUBE by Jason Bruns. This is the second part of putting a swarm of bees from a swarm box into a hive. In the first part Jason has to cut a comb from the top of the swarm box. This shows how he "rubber bands" the comb to a frame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrLCxZiVLms

Phil


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## Edymnion (May 30, 2013)

Here's another picture of rubber banding, should you need it.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I normally slip 5-6 rubber bands around the frame and scoot them all to one end. Lay your frame down over the comb you are trying to save and use it as a guide to cut the comb so that is just fits inside the frame. Then just slip each rubber band down the frame to hold it in place. The bees will fix the comb and attach it to the frame within a week or so if there is a flow or you are feeding. The rubber bands will break with in a couple weeks and the bees will try and pull them out of the hive. Once the comb is attached to the frame you can go ahead and remove it to save them the trouble.


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## BEE STALKER (Feb 12, 2012)

Our nasty feral bees make short work of the rubber bands. I use tie wire. I bend it around the top bar then hook it in holes on the bottom bar. I'll do this to one side, then on the other side I'll start it in the holes in the bottom bar and have the wires"Open" to receive the comb. I'll lay the comb in, then close it up. You can form the annealed wire closer to the comb so it doesn't flop around like it will with rubber bands. once you make them up, you can use them over and over....


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you take the time to build these:
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/removeable-swarm-catching-frames/

They will make things go much quicker and smoother while doing the cutout. You can leave them in the hive, but they aren't standard frames.


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## Edymnion (May 30, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> If you take the time to build these:
> http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/removeable-swarm-catching-frames/
> 
> They will make things go much quicker and smoother while doing the cutout. You can leave them in the hive, but they aren't standard frames.


Thats pretty cool, actually.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

The "right size" of rubberband is important (length and width), depending on the frame size you are rubberbanding the comb to. I tend to stay away from the thick rubberbands. Also if they are to big/long, they will not hold the comb in place in the frame, instead they will lean to one side out of the dimensions of the frame. I have a friend how refuses to use them (goes with string instead) because of the slap some bees must get after breaking them off the frame


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

here's what the bees do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuDk1fbik3s&hd=1


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## honeyman46408 (Feb 14, 2003)

Michael Bush said:


> If you take the time to build these:
> http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/removeable-swarm-catching-frames/


Once you use these you will never bother with rubber bands again


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

honeyman46408 said:


> Once you use these you will never bother with rubber bands again


I've been toying with the idea of making these for some time. I'm caught up on the rest of my equipment, so this is the year. You talked me into it. It looks sooo much easier than using rubber bands.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>Once you use these you will never bother with rubber bands again

I tried two kinds of those and went back to rubber bands. Another time consuming construction project, has to be eventually removed, if not removed you have to make more. The bulk of the rubber bands are removed by the bees so the job is finished. I don't keep much in the way of medium depth brood chambers but find that most of the cutouts I do fit easier in medium frames and are easier to rubber band into medium frames. I put these medium depth cutout brood frames above or below a deep super and exclude the queen out of them after a while. Have a few ready for medium depth bait hives this season. Guess I will just start adding a few medium depth brood chambers to my collection.


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## BEE STALKER (Feb 12, 2012)

I've made the swarm frames. They work well. I have about twenty in the rotation. They are a quite a bit of work to make and wire, but gets the comb in quick in the oozing goo of a cut out. 

My mentor, Bill Lewis of Bill's bees, clued me into the tie wire trick. With all the concrete I've poured in my life, tie wire is right up my alley. As I mentioned in my earlier post, you can manipulate the wire to "Grab" the comb better than with rubber bands. 

We are getting some merciful rain in Southern California tonight through the weekend, I might be able to upload some photos of both frames during the respite....


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