# Bees building strange oval comb pieces in entrance?



## JustBees (Sep 7, 2021)

They may be wanting to reduce the entrance size.
They may be out of space above.
They may want comb near the entrance to alter the airflow in the hive.

Wait! Warre hives have no structure, there is no wonky comb in a Warre hive......
Leave them alone and let them build.
It's great that they are building late in the season!
Some un-scented 1:1 syrup would likely help them along if they need a boost.


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## Douce (5 mo ago)

Thanks for the response! I may slightly reduce the entrance size (and leave them alone otherwise) to see what happens.


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## JustBees (Sep 7, 2021)

This time of year with a small colony a 1 inch wide entrance would not be too small.

However do not yet reduce the entrance ventilation size, close down the entrance with screen.

You should have 4 or 5" w x ~5/8" tall opening for venting at the bottom and little to no top vent. Unless you are in an extreme locale.

That Warre should be thick wood? so better insulated.


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

You see tags of comb like that sometimes. I had a piece of wood angled near an entrance and they started building comb there, several inches outside the entrance.


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

Douce said:


> I found a few of these being built in the doorway to my first-year Warre (the combs aren't anchored to anything - doesn't necessarily seem like they're trying to "close off" the entrance which was my first thought).


If they were not "anchored" or attached to anything in/on the box then they fell?


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## Douce (5 mo ago)

it's definitely possible that they fell... they're pretty perfectly symmetrical though? there've been like 3-4 of them, all of the same shape - with no obvious "connecting" side?


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## JustBees (Sep 7, 2021)

He has it right, if they were not attached, they likely fell.
That is the way most free comb starts, little dangly bits.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

look for mouse sign, they break off comb when in the hive.

GG


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## Honey Bear (5 mo ago)

I had a swarm to try to move in to my nuc in the Hickory tree that is suspended high. But for some reason, they just gathered on the side of the box as if the queen attached to the side of the box, and did not find the opening of the nuc. But they formed a very long beard for about 4 days, before leaving. I just knew they would find the small opening of the nuc, but no, they did not. Once they left, they left this piece of wax hanging from the bottom of the nuc that looked exactly like a nut sac on a goat, but smaller. It stayed for a long time even after the second swarm moved in and just feel off recently. I picked it up and brought it inside as I wanted to inspect it, and it was light, and had a soft feel to it. But this was sculpture was no where near the hive entrance. I wondered too what it was for. Looked like a "Pub" sign hanging out on the bottom of the nuc.


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