# Avoiding cross comb in a top bar



## MariahK (Dec 28, 2014)

Never heard that one, but my hive does run east/west and I have yet to have any cross comb. I think its my constant weekly inspections and adding new bars between drawn comb weekly which has really made all the difference


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## rmcpb (Aug 15, 2012)

I think a bit of care to fix cross comb early would be MUCH better than trying to worry about magnetic fields.


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## K Wieland (Sep 15, 2011)

I agree. If you watch any of the JP the bee man videos on YouTube where he is harvesting cutouts, you see comb going in all different directions, even in the same hive. If there is an effect, I suspect it is very weak.


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## whalers (Jun 4, 2011)

Thanks guys. I was thinking at some point I had heard M. Bush mention this.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

I face all my entries east, so they all are the opposite of N/S. So it should be a mess, right? I avoid cross combing by glueing an 8" long, 3/4" wide ×1/8" thick strip to the topbars. Glue on its thin edge. Heavily waxed on the other side, this gives them the structure to hang on. On the wax edge, the bees just know what to do. They will fill in up to the bar after they are done drawing the topbar. There's very little crossing, and most of mine are Warre hives. Making them level will help a lot also. The bees use gravity, straight down, to draw comb. Leaners get braced up. If you cannot make them, the tongue depressor size craft sticks work. You may want them longer for a KTB or foundationless Lang.


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