# How do YOU get new comb drawn out?



## greg zechman (Nov 2, 2010)

good question david....i hope someone answers


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## T.Smith (Aug 26, 2009)

If I can start the spring out with just one honey super of drawn comb above the brood nest then I watch for a flow to start. When it does there will be many bees in this super and you will see nectar and white wax when you take the top off. Now when this happens jack that super up and put a super of foundation under it. This has worked well for me


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

Ok, but does that also manage swarming form that hive? If it does then that is what I'm after.

The reason I asked this on the commercial forum is that the people who are bee keeping for a living have to get a good return on every investment - money, labor, and production time. So assuming that your operation has to manage swarming, and make a profit every year - how do you produce more comb within those restraints?

Can you use established honey production hives to also draw comb? Or do you use increase hives - splits or packages - and manage the honey hives to just make honey. Maybe you do just slide a box of foundation under the honey supers once the flow starts. That's what I'm asking.


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## T.Smith (Aug 26, 2009)

Yes these are honey producing hives that I'm speaking of. As for swarming I don't think this really prohibits that but we requeen every year in march and I think for us that knocks out about 80 percent of swarming. We also run single deep brood boxes with a queen excluder


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I get new comb drawn out by making nucs using one or two frames of foundation per 5 frame nuc. This is usually done when a nectar flow is expected to occur. A frame or two of foundation is also put into the hives where combs used in making up the nuc came from. At that same time when a nectar flow is expected.

If no nectar flow occurs, and I have syrup, I will fill feeders in the hives to help the colony w/ needed feed necassary to drawing out comb.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

T.Smith, the way you are doing it is very close to how I am doing it this year, single deep, excluder, first super is drawn comb, but when they are ready for the next super (all foundation) I have been putting it on top instead of under the first super. It seems to be working pretty good so far, wonder if the other way would get it drawn quicker though? I usually keep the excluder off until the bees are working well on 2-3 frames of the first super, then install it. John


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## T.Smith (Aug 26, 2009)

jmgi. I have found that they draw out better when you have a strong hive and put the foundation right on top of the brood nest. We have done them like you did and it worked also but seemed like the way I described worked the best


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Perfect your swarm management. Then perfect your hive manipulations to create large populations. Then wait for a flow. After that, you can do no wrong, they will draw it. 

We have already put 3 lb packages on nothing but foundation, and had success. There was nectar available until frost. Most years, that would not work well, they would chew holes in the foundation.

Crazy Roland


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

We mix foundation in with drawn comb by putting them either in slots 3,5 and 7 or 2,4,6 and 8 using 9 combs per box. Roland is right, of course, if there is a good flow you can do no wrong.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Jim, when you mix them in like that don't they seem to want to draw out the already drawn combs even more and neglect the foundation? Maybe in a real heavy flow there is no problem doing it that way, but I always seem to have trouble with that method, unless of course you put them in between combs that are already capped on both sides. John


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

The weaker the flow, the fatter the drawn comb is in relation to the foundation but they will almost always do some work on the foundation. We use a lot of excluded singles and always worry about the very real danger of triggering swarming by overusing foundation directly above the excluder.


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

Jim, I changed over my broodnest configuration this year from mediums to a single deep, and concern with swarming is as you say, worrisome. So far, no swarms, but I am continuing to add mediums with foundation to get more supers with drawn comb as I am real short on them since I enlarged my operation also this year. John


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