# first peek



## AkDan (Apr 13, 2012)

Well today is day 9, and the weather finally warmed back up since I first hived the gals. 

Hive one decided to cross comb everything at a 45. The queen was still stuck in her cage, they combed her in. She had hardly any candy holding her in, just enough from keeping her from getting out I guess before they built comb all around her cage. I picked it clean and stuck her back in in my queen ring for release. So much for guide strips and partial bars on the ends. Actually what I think happened, they followed the angle of the queen cage. I made a 'queen ring' to slide the cage in betweend the upper two boxes. Its a good idea, but our temps dropped and ended up in the teens the last couple of days. I'm glad I checked (before the temps dropped too much) as they completely left the queens high and dry minus a couple of attendants. I hung both cages (the plastic types), with some fishing line off the tab. They were both hung in the middle of the cluster. The 2nd hives cage was running parralell with the bars....I dont know of it was a koinky dink, but I thought I'd mention it. 

Hive 2 had the queen released and they decided to follow the comb guides. They're filling things out nicely so far. 

Should I mess with the cross comb or just let it go? I do have bars with about half a frame down each side and a shortguide strip. I know the decision is mine, but having 0 experience with langs/warre's I'd like to hear the skinny. I may steal a straight bar later on from the better hive before the crooked hive moves down a box so they have something straight as a reference. I think next go I'll use some wax starter strips made from stir sticks off my guide strips to help them build straight. with my top bars fixing cross comb wasnt hard at all. I'd assume it would be the same on the warres and I should get too it before it gets ugly? I'd have to remove the hole upper box to fix it so I'm thinking it would be best to let them be?


----------



## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

I personally would fix it (get to it) as soon as the weather allowed, and release the queen, so she can get busy.


----------



## robherc (Mar 17, 2012)

AkDan said:


> Should I mess with the cross comb or just let it go? I do have bars with about half a frame down each side and a shortguide strip. I know the decision is mine, but having 0 experience with langs/warre's I'd like to hear the skinny. I may steal a straight bar later on from the better hive before the crooked hive moves down a box so they have something straight as a reference. I think next go I'll use some wax starter strips made from stir sticks off my guide strips to help them build straight. with my top bars fixing cross comb wasnt hard at all. I'd assume it would be the same on the warres and I should get too it before it gets ugly? I'd have to remove the hole upper box to fix it so I'm thinking it would be best to let them be?


The longer you wait to fix it, the more comb you'll have to fix. A lot of foundationless warre/lang keeps use the same kinds of comb guides (triangular, or tongue-depressor strips) that we've used for TBHs...foundationleess is foundationless, same principles apply, no matter the shape of your outer box 
As far as the queen cages, I've read many, MANY accounts & opinions crediting queen cage location & orientation with "deciding" the direction the combs ultimately got built, so you're probably right with your suspicion there.

Good luck, & I hope these bees do really well for you


----------



## AkDan (Apr 13, 2012)

Thanks Rob! 

I did make partial frames with guides. I don't have enough hands to straighten this out. I hope I can straighten out the next two boxes. Finally getting nice up here. They're bringing in pollen from somewhere. The only thing blooming is wills. Most people don't have plants out yet, still chilly in the evenings. 

The hair clips didn't work well for me last year on new comb. I ruined as much as I fixed lol.


----------



## AkDan (Apr 13, 2012)

Thanks Rob! 

I did make partial frames with guides. I don't have enough hands to straighten this out. I hope I can straighten out the next two boxes. Finally getting nice up here. They're bringing in pollen from somewhere. The only thing blooming is wills. Most people don't have plants out yet, still chilly in the evenings. 

The hair clips didn't work well for me last year on new comb. I ruined as much as I fixed lol.


----------



## HoneyintheRox (Apr 4, 2012)

I find that if you're planning to go more to the "warre method" of low intervention and also are planning to harvest a box at a time...it's not too much of an issue. I had a fully natural combed box last year (queen cage issue I suspect) - it was BEAUTIFUL but all over the darn place...but the box below is straight on the bars. That hive doesn't even have comb guides because I didn't know enough at the time to put them in.


----------

