# Guess the comb problem II



## Tim Hall (Sep 14, 2007)

It's a gorgeously solid pattern...is it all drone?


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Drone?? It's 5.1 Dadant foundation! Now that may be,..one of the,..'problems' of course; it's not 4.9 small cell. Sorry, guess again.

By the way: There is NOTHING on the right side of the photos that is relevant to the question; trust me.


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

You don't want to keep bees, and don't know what to do with all those workers? Or is the other side of the frame badly drawn?


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

'You don't want to keep bees'.--dcross. I DO! [want to keep bees] but I am at loss as to what to say to that, lol.

'and don't know what to do with all those workers'.--dcross. I wouldn't, of course, lol. I let the bees decide. By the way; the frame of brood is from a 2007 Minnesota Hygienic queen.

The 'other side' of the frame is probably 'the same' but I don't remember. lol. In any case, I wouldn't do that to you all; now would I? NO! The other side is irrelevant!


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## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

#1....Too much brood and not enough honey and pollen. They are going to starve.

#2....Nothing, other than to harass Bjorn.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

iddee said:


> #1....Too much brood and not enough honey and pollen. They are going to starve.
> 
> #2....Nothing, other than to harass Bjorn.


Too much brood and not enough honey and pollen. They are going to starve.

They are going to,.................'starve'? With a photo of just one frame???

#2 nothing other than to harass Bjorn. lol. You're getting,..........warm.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

*The PRIZE!*

The first Beesource subscriber [if deserving] who comes close to the answer wins 20 deep frames [wood] of plastic foundation [Dadant/Mann Lake, NOT! 120-100 ], postage paid!!


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## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

Isn't "getting warm" and "getting close" the same thing?
I'll pm you my shipping address for the frames.

>>>With a photo of just one frame???<<<

Are you hiding part of the evidence??? I am looking at it as a complete picture. Am I also supposed to conjure up what the rest of it looks like in my crystal ball?


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## jeff123fish (Jul 3, 2007)

*robbed*

I've seen frames that looked like this when they were being robbed out? Is that the issue with it? -jeff


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## Bee_Sweet (May 27, 2008)

*Just guessing*

It appears to be nothing wrong with it. Except for the fact that I have heard people say that they will not lay over top of the embedded wire, but in your photos they did... Maybe this is the answer???

Matt C.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

I am NOT hiding any,....'evidence' [as far as I can tell]. The frame was from a nuc, so as far as 'robbing'-jeff123fish; that would be a possibility because there were other strong hives nearby. I put that frame and others into a deep hive body later and the colony went through the winter OK.


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## Dundrave (Jun 1, 2008)

*My guess*

I don't know, but there seem to be very few bees on a frame with that much brood. Least in my experience.


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## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

There are no eggs in that hive, no laying queen and not much honey.

Gilman


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

I see a cheap beekeeper who has bought the cheapest woodenware on the market, and the warped bottom bar shows this. (No jabs at MannLake, I like them...  )

I also see 53 mites, 4 SHB, and at least half the bees are choking from t-mites.

There are no bees on the frame because AHB all run off the frames when you pull them up.

Knowing this beekeeper...I'll also assume the wax is highly tainted with off label chemicals from years of ignorance (beekeepers part, not the bees).

The bulged areas of honey also show a lack of understanding in placing foundation and drawing comb.

The lose wedge also shows that an extra nail was too much cost or effort to do a good job.

Let me know if any of them are close....


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Tim Hall said:


> It's a gorgeously solid pattern...is it all drone?


Tim, on the right side, there are 4 drone cells in a group. So the rest would be worker.


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## Scut Farkas (Jun 7, 2007)

The empty cells form a message in morse code that says "gimme back my honey your crusty ole poot".


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## denny (Aug 2, 2006)

It looks like the top of the capped cells in the center are lower than the surrounding semi circle , forming a subtle shallow "bowl" . Could there be a double layer of comb built in that outer area which appears slightly higher?...most visible towards lower/left area. I've seen on , rare occasions, comb built away from the foundation.


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## bwyatt (Nov 21, 2007)

I don't see one single bee hatching but that's not necessarily a problem.

Bill


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## WannaBee (Apr 23, 2008)

I'm not a beek yet, But what is the white stuff on the upper left corner??? It dose not look right to me.
Other then that??????


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## bwyatt (Nov 21, 2007)

Looks like maybe two queens also, but my eyes are getting old.

Bill


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## jellybeen (Oct 20, 2007)

Honey with brood caps?


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## bwyatt (Nov 21, 2007)

No pollen anywhere.

Bill


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## beehandler (Jun 27, 2007)

*problem comb*

looks to me like it was drawn upside down


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## beehandler (Jun 27, 2007)

*2 more guesses*

1- cells are drawn smaller than origional foundation..... 2- plastic foundation with wire imbedded in it


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

beehandler said:


> 1- cells are drawn smaller than origional foundation..... 2- plastic foundation with wire imbedded in it


beehandler,
I had thought and actually wrote about your #2 (the original post), but I changed it on second thought as I think I see, besides the beekeeper wire, wire also from the foundation (making it wax not plastic). My thought was along the lines that perhaps it was installed up-side-down, but then thought if it was embedded wire foundation, then the only way this would happen is if the foundation was without hooks.


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## Show-me (Aug 3, 2007)

Nothing wrong with the frame.


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## GRIMBEE (Apr 3, 2007)

I also see nothing wrong with the foundation. Great brood pattern, The olny thing I see wrong is it isn't in the hive where it belongs.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

the only thing I see is that the bottom bar is bowed and sit's a cell lower than the right side, top a little bowed also, other than that looks fine , probably not but left end bar might be a little longer that right end bar, dought it but you never know! its just not square looking.....


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Oldbee said:


> Guess the comb problem: The Sequel.
> http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk429/insectsRock/IMG_0137-1.jpg?+=1215286662
> 
> Analyze this: http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/kk429/insectsRock/IMG_0136-1.jpg?t=1215287736


The bottom edge of the foundation was a little too long, or it stretched as it was being drawn, and it buckled a little just above the bottom bar. Perhaps you used a solid bottom bar, when you should have used a grooved bottom bar for this depth of foundation. You may even have inserted the vertically wired foundation upside down, with the hooks at the bottom.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

It's not foundationless.

Matt


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## MapMan (May 24, 2007)

I think that what many of you perceive as warping, bowing, etc. is actually barrel distortion, often from the use of a camera lens which is in macro mode, use of wide angle lenses or the widest point of a zoom lens. If he used a converter add-on to a lens, it would also accent the effect. 

You can see that this is the case when you view the hive boxes in the background, (unless the hive boxes are extremely bowed!).

MM


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

My guess is that your hive swarmed; Hey, if I'm right you'll save on shipping costs.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

BjornBee said:


> I see a cheap beekeeper who has bought the cheapest woodenware on the market, and the warped bottom bar shows this. (No jabs at MannLake, I like them...  )
> 
> I also see 53 mites, 4 SHB, and at least half the bees are choking from t-mites.
> 
> ...


"Let me know if any of them are close"--BjornBee

CLOSE?? Not even in are own,..galaxy. lol. But, thank you for adding your comments. Now you have got me worried about the 4 SHB. Where are they? Please tell me!! 53 mites?? Yeah right! From a nuc just started? Give a break! lol.

Actually, I didn't see any problem with the "comb" when I took the photo. So!,, 'Bee Sweet' came up with the best answer first and 'Show-me' was second.

The offer still stands about the plastic foundation. All my hives seem to have swarmed this year so they are not drawing out foundation [especially plastic] very well at all.

THANK YOU ALL for your comments! I will have to 'look' at that photo again! I didn't realize,......there were soo many,............problems! lol. Maybe I will address them individually.



BjornBee: I am VERY sorry for the rude comments about the photo that you posted,..'guess the comb problem #1'. I am sure you were only trying to challenge the intellect [problem solving] of commercial/experienced and hobbyist beekeepers,..alike.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

MapMan said:


> I think that what many of you perceive as warping, bowing, etc. is actually barrel distortion, often from the use of a camera lens which is in macro mode, use of wide angle lenses or the widest point of a zoom lens. If he used a converter add-on to a lens, it would also accent the effect.
> 
> You can see that this is the case when you view the hive boxes in the background, (unless the hive boxes are extremely bowed!).
> 
> MM


You may be right about the,......distortion/perspective! So,..is a photo worth 'a thousand words' or just,.....500 lies?


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

*CSI Photo challenge*

I kind of like the thread that BjornBee has started; post a photo and then ask your fellow beekeepers,...........what do you,.think,..what's going on here,.what has happened,.any solutions? As long as the the poster of photos was 'honest' [NOT like me,.LOL] It could be a whole new sub-forum. What do you think,..Barry?


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

"It's not foundationless".--Cacklewack.

Oh my! Now that is REALLY getting down and,............organic. lol. You are probably using only foundationless already. It was a creative/unique answer,..that's for sure, thanks.

I am trying to go to LESS chemicals, so for me, the 5.1 foundation is the way I want to go at this time.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

"There are no eggs in that hive, no laying queen and not much honey".--bleta12.

Hey! It's only 2 photos of ONE frame! I see your 'point',..though,..lol.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

well if the camera causes a bowed effect then frame looks good, only thing I see is that with a frame that full I wonder why they didnt finish drawing it out all the way, why they leave 1/2 inch undrawn on sides and bottom, other than that wished all my hives had frames messed up like that one  .


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Say, does anyone know how to get the bees to draw those frames out side-to-side and top-to-bottom?


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Dundrave said:


> I don't know, but there seem to be very few bees on a frame with that much brood. Least in my experience.


Yes, I noticed that too after looking at the photo again but there is little to no open brood cells; 99% appear to be capped.


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## Show-me (Aug 3, 2007)

Question, beings it IS capped the nurse bee's do not need to attend to them as much? And, due to the efficient nature of bee's they moved on to were the work is?


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## riverrat (Jun 3, 2006)

you got a bad queen she needs to go to the gallows. I know it is a dirty job killing bees. I want to save you from the heart ache of executing her. so please put her in a queen cage and include her with the box of new frames you are sending my way postage paid. I will see to it she makes it to the gallows


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Show-me said:


> Question, beings it IS capped the nurse bee's do not need to attend to them as much? And, due to the efficient nature of bee's they moved on to were the work is?


I would think that is entirely true. I did take some time [5 minutes] to set up the frame for the photo [frame holder in back] so maybe some of the bees just flew away.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

riverrat said:


> you got a bad queen she needs to go to the gallows. I know it is a dirty job killing bees. I want to save you from the heart ache of executing her. so please put her in a queen cage and include her with the box of new frames you are sending my way postage paid. I will see to it she makes it to the gallows


Sorry riverrat, but that queen has probably already flown off with a swarm this year; she was a good queen though. All my hives have swarmed and are really slow now.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

beehandler said:


> looks to me like it was drawn upside down


If it was drawn upside down, the picture proves that the bees will still lay in it, so that can't be a problem.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Come on you all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the frame of capped brood. Didn't you read Oldbee's post in Bjorn's thread? This is all a hoax!!!


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## Troutsqueezer (May 17, 2005)

How come I have to click on a link to see the picture? I'm too lazy to do that....I'm the world's laziest beekeeper, next to MB.


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Troutsqueezer said:


> I'm the world's laziest beekeeper, next to MB.



When did they have that contest? I musta been too lazy to log on that day. Mail me the trophy! But don't tape the box too heavy...


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## Bee_Sweet (May 27, 2008)

*Oh well*

Well according to Oldbee I had the best answer, but had not received an answer to my email, guess it was a fake contest! Oh well... it was fun reading everyones posts. Oldbee you can keep your frames with foundation, as I'm sure you were going to anyway.


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## RAlex (Aug 18, 2001)

Barry I didnt read Bjorn`s post but if there apears to ba a problem I would think that the frame is 95 capped brood, leaving about 5 percent of the cells empty. Assuming that is a problem the question becomes why arent the 5 percent full of eggs and capped ? The possible anwers are 1) the cells (empty had at one time pollen with some pesticide on it or 2) the eggs originally placed there by the quees was not in the correct position and a worker has removed it ?...Comments Rick


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Barry said:


> Come on you all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the frame of capped brood. Didn't you read Oldbee's post in Bjorn's thread? This is all a hoax!!!


A hoax?,...A HOAX?? Now would I do that,........on Beesource? he , he,he. I didn't expect anymore comments on this thread!

RAlex: Your answer was certainly only for the,..PhD. candidates,.lol. I don't know how to make your comment as a "quote", sorry.

Bee_Sweet: Us 'beekeepers' have a 'code of honor' don't we? I needed some extra boxes that were already PAINTED so I ordered from M.Lake. and Dadant that only ship with plastic frames included; I have 10 deeps and 14 medium plastic in wood. Brushy Mt. can send painted boxes without frames. This is my first year using plastic; I have been somewhat pressed for time in making up all wax frames. I used some of them and they were on the hives [All swarmed] for three weeks and they didn't draw them out until now; so that's why I've been in a quandary about selling them. I will send a P.M. about that soon.

BjornBees' first thread,..'guess the comb problem?' ,..[I didn't get answer right!] gave me the incentive to try and post photos anyway. I have edited and apologized as much as I can but it shows how confused and varied the 'answers' might be. Thanks.


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## RAlex (Aug 18, 2001)

LOL ...ok I`m busted. I called an old friend/protege (sp) Roger Morses who is my go to guy when I have a question that I cant find the anwers for. In regards to the empty cells we just talked about the "why" of them a few of weeks ago while we were making up nuc`s....That is a fine lookin frame....Thanks Rick


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Oldbee said:


> A hoax?,...A HOAX?? Now would I do that,........on Beesource? he , he,he. I didn't expect anymore comments on this thread!


OK, you fessed up. Now that I gave the correct answer to the frame problem, when do I get the foundation?


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