# best way to shake bees on a new tob bar comb.



## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

Bee brush if you have one. Maybe use a turkey wing feather if you can get one. The new comb on a top bar frame is too fragile for much bumping with no support on the sides
. You could just put bee's and all in. Just set it aside for a second to give all but the nurse bees a chance to abandon ship.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

will they abandon ship? I figure I will rotate it comb up so it's in line with gravity and cut toward the bar so all streses will push into the bar, does that sound like a viable plan.


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## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

Any foragers and guard bees that may be on the comb should. Nurse bees with stay with the brood.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

so just brush them out of the way long enough to trim down? or will they move if I go slow enough?


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## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

I would brush them off since your having to cut the comb to fit. I use a 10 inch bread knife for most all cutting in my top bar hives. Real good for cutting brace comb.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

Thanks for the help, Yeah I plan to use a bread knife, where did you find a 10 in one?


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## dixieswife (Apr 15, 2013)

If you have a follower board, you could use that as a template to trim the comb. We brushed the bees off a frame, snipped the bottom frame off, then laid the comb against the follower board and trimmed to size -- the knife blade goes along the side of the board. Pulled trimmed comb/side frames off, snipped any wires, cut the top frame to fit across the TBH, done.

I would think a long bread knife could be found at any discount dept. store (Wal-Mart, etc.) inexpensively.


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## praxis178 (Dec 26, 2012)

Using a camel hair brush (yes I have one) I have brushed bees of one week old comb, not what I'd recommend even then I did damage, not a lot but you REALLY get a feel for just how fragile new comb is. In this case I'd still give it a try, use as soft a bee brush as you can find and be VERY patient they will get the idea.

Oh if trimming framed comb to fit use the bottom of the follower board as the key edge so the comb you cut is a bit smaller than the biggest that will fit. I did it the other way once and got a nice comb follower board for my troubles. Cutting it out of the hive later was not fun!


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## robherc (Mar 17, 2012)

When cutting a "loose" comb to fit a top bar, I usually use a "linoleum knife" ... available at pretty much any hardware store. it's a thin, short, hooked knife & seems to work better than my bread knife for that particular task, as "sawing" with the bread knife has decimated a couple unsupported combs on me  As far as the bees go, they get out of the way faster than you could possibly cut the comb (well, unless you just start whacking at it, but that would destroy your intent anywise), so no need to worry with brushing them off.


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## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

Bought mine off of ebay cheaper than one from dollar store, only place I found a longer one too. And I agree with you robherc something like one of those throw away razor knives would work better especially for new comb.


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