This is my first year.... And I received black comb and was thinking it was to dirty and old to use but was told the bees would love it... The bee farm has been in business since 1927 so I trusted his opinion but still had my doubts. He said he sends his bees to California each year for almonds. I am very happy you talked about this topic because my fear of using his black old comb was right. I only have a few frames he entered but I will be changing them out asap. Thank you very helpful info for my first year.
The point about the immediate transfer of possible harmful compunds into the honey when using a hot knife to open the cells is great information. Thanks again for your time and for sharing your experience with us.
As a retired beekeeper, I totally agree with you vis the old comb philosophy. As a retired beekeeper (if you ever really retire), I many years ago changed the way that I kept bees, I winter with two boxes, come bud swell I add a box of starter strips and foundation, but I add this to the bottom of the stack, I then shake down the bees from the top box and add a pollen sub patty and an excluder before placing the top box back. By doing this the oldest that any frame in the hive can be is two years old, hence greatly reduced wax moth issues, and no old comb.
Not sure why but I missed this vid, most interesting and thank you Bob, I am a retired commercial beekeeper, and some years back I changed my basic practice in order to get rid of old brood comb, I only have one sized box, full deeps. It suites me to winter in two deep boxes, here in Australia because we have some winter honey and pollen because the native trees tend to flower mid winter. At bud swell i add an extra box of starter strips to the bottom of each hive, I then shake out the top box before adding an excluder and replacing the old top box, I then wait three weeks and just as the blossoms are bursting i remove the top box and replace it with a new box of starter strips, this is my spring honey super. all the frames in the hive are now a max 2 years old, and I will have fresh new wax with the new seasons honey in it.
Mr Binnie, I find all your videos to be some of the best on UA-cam. I've been told by others you can keep old comb for twenty plus years and the bees prefer it. I purchased several nuc's years back and ended up with a lot of old black comb and the bees did poorly until I replaced the frames. It just goes to show you you can't believe everything you hear. I'm retiring this year from a lifetime in telecommunications. I currently manage just under twenty five colonies and I am hoping to expand to seventy five production hives in the near future. Wish I started this many years ago. I just love working with these little creatures!!
Thank you Mr. Binnie for this in depth educational video concerning aged comb. I'm a hobbyist beekeeper in North, GA and watching your channel has increased my knowledge immensely. I look very forward to possibly meeting you when I come up to visit your store in Lakemont, GA. Your demeanor, teaching skills, and knowing you have 40+ years experience command respect from anyone in my opinion, be it hobbyist, sideliner, or commercial operator. Realizing this is a VERY busy time of year for you, again I sincerely appreciate you taking your valuable time to help those like me who seek out great, tried and true beekeeping information. Rodney 😃
Once again BOb, you made another great educational point that i feel most do not think of. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Im learning more and more each year.
Bob, that macro lens resulted in some great, informative photos at the end of your presentation. When I first encountered black comb, my bees would not deposit any honey in the cells, and that's when I knew it was a problem. Your tip about moving the black comb in the spring is the advice I've sought for a long time, thanks!
Great subject Bob, and as always very well said, thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience with the bee keeping world. Love the new camera lens the detail in those pictures is outstanding wow! Keep up the good work and stay safe ( social distancing )
I had a suspicion that in Australia, at least in Victoria, we have experienced this. My strategy was always to move the darker comb to the top 3rd or 4th box. This means that those comb see the extractor more often and last less longer as a result. Now that I have watched this video I will cease that system and ditch the bad ones. I don't use plastic foundation, so replacing the foundation is a bit of time but now I see it is worth it. Thanks for sharing the knowledge..
Just came across your video and boy did you ever help me out !! Went from 42 hives last fall to one this spring. Never would have dreamed changing types of mite control would have bit me that hard.
Wow. That give year old come looks bad, but that comb of an unknown age looks looks like it came from an old egyptian tomb. Very cool closeup shots with that macro lens! Thanks for this video.
I also find that to demonstrate the longer term consequences of putting chemicals in beehives. It's just not good for the bees or us, and having to clean it out of the hives on a frequent and regular basis demonstrates that quite well.
The mass of 10 thousand bees hatched in light combs will be equal to 1 kg, in brown ones - 0.838 kg, in dark ones - 0.671 kg. To obtain equal honey productivity with bees grown in light combs, it will take about 2 times more bees that hatch in combs after 10-fold hatching, and 5 times more bees grown in dark combs. To hatch 1 kg of bees in light combs, 2.5 kg of honey are consumed, in brown ones - 2.9 kg, in dark ones - 3.7 kg
So if I'm understanding that correctly: the older the brood comb means the more resources they consume to produce the same harvest amount of honey? Possibly also ability to build new wax? So that means the longer the old dark brown brood comb is left in the hive the less capable the population is able to make new comb (then fill it) when we do remove old comb???? I was also wondering about toxins in the wax: When we render the wax to make candles. My friend has a dozen hives and as he builds them up I'm learning and hoping together we can increase what is a happy and social interaction with hives in the gardens of friends around the city suburbs. If we swap out old dark comb and they build new comb. How often is it suggested to do that? But also rendering down the older darker wax could a few cycles "wash out" the brood and most toxins? Ie so burning the candle isn't going to be releasing non water soluble toxins from in the wax and release them as heated toxins into the air when we burn it as a candle???
There is some great information in this video! Although I have yet to start beekeeping, I do plan to in the near future. In the meantime, I'm learning as much as I can absorb from videos like this one. THANK-You for sharing this video!
Whoo Bob, I was feeling good that I actually made a double screened bottom board and used it! 😊 Missed having you at the Forsyth Meeting. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge
Great video Bob! You did a wonderful job explaining various chemicals, how the interact on brood comb and the impact to the bees. As a hobbyist approaching sideliner beekeeper I value years of experience and appreciate you taking the time to share. Thank you!
Long-term observations of the Research Institute of Beekeeping show that bees from families with a nest mainly from old dark combs collect 40-47% less honey than families with high-quality combs
Makes perfect nature sense. If we look at hive beetles and wax moths they force old comb to be removed then the bees move back in make new comb and start the process all over again. We as beekeepers need to take the place of the wax moth and beetles by rotating old comb out.
Bob, thank you so much for posting this video. I like you, have been advocating for a number of years that comb culling is essential for healthy beekeeping. It amazes me the amount of pushback I've had over the years. Thanks again, HONEY B GUYS
GREAT INFO,,COOL PICS for the curious,,,In the wild they swarmed an made new homes so the theory of changing out old comb an they grow better i think is true,,,im replacing my beekeepers nuc frames,,clean them for late summer flow
Very Interesting, Thanks for the well delivered information, also great photos, the cross cut section of the old comb is self evident of your discussion on smaller bees! Thank You, Best of luck with your bee season.
I want to thank u for the videos u make they are great I just made me 3 of them devider boards for 8 frame hives I had to do splits today put 2 queen cell in each a swarm I just cought a month ago if fixen to swarm again it is the breed they swarm them selves to death they did so good it was unreal the mother hive is struggling the nector flow is on and is going to be over in june and they want to swarm. I just wanted to say thank u u do a great job
I've subscribed , Liked every video ,and spent the last month , listening to every word ,I've Got a Older man thats been keeping for years and years and his Son , That's my age that's took me under their wings this year. The Older Gentleman isn't able to help psychically , but share ageless Knowledge , His son's been doing it since childhood , I watched him catch his first swarm this year , and then let me Catch the next one pretty much by myself with him watching . ,,, After we saw that swarm was doing good , I transported them to my house as my own and Love it . I was listening to every video i could and finally decided on your channel to stick with,,,,There's to many opinions for a new-Bee, But I live just barely east of Asheville N.C. and so we're close and Enjoy your Teaching and Knowledge ,,, I grew up working and never stopped , I can fix just about anything thats tore up , Build Houses , Plumb, wire ,,Mechanic But the world of Honey Bees is amazing,, way too much to learn ,,, in short time ,,, But I'll keep listening and learning ,,, Thank you so much for your efforts ! God Bless ya!
Great info and video. With my MS degree I learned about chemistry and all that stuff but never thought about how that would apply to comb. I agree that there is no magic number of years that we should reuse comb, but if I was going to the orchards I would hope that I'd recycle my comb sooner than if I was in the mountains away from ag chemicals. It was great to get a new video it's been so long and you always have so much info that you share. Wish you had more time to share. I built a double screen board for my bees because of your info shared. Take care and keep the bees flying.
Next time you get a chance Would you be able to show how to change out a whole box of old combs to new combs. I would think it would be very invasive for the bees. I’m am concerned about killing too many.
A very informative presentation....do you throw out the old comb or can it be melted, cleaned and reused as a prep for new plastic foundation? Thank you.
Great video Bob. So just a couple days ago I did a video and have still to edit it, on whether old comb will also affect a laying pattern. I have been in a hive where an old comb had a bad pattern, yet a frame or two over she had a great pattern. Just got me to thinking about cell wall size being built up, along with small bees, and whether it could affect the laying pattern. So I have this hive that is getting up to about 5 years and the brood is rough. Plenty of solid eggs, but the bees are yanking a lot of larvae out and leaving it very spotty. Yea, most likely the queen, but I figured I'd try and see what happens with some newer comb and some foundation to be drawn. So who knows. Going to try it a few times as I see spotty patterns in old comb. Had a poisoning 2 years ago and lost most my hives and this one survived. So a lot of the comb in my boxes isn't terribly old, but I am planning to implement a rotation next year with some of the older stuff. Low Ag down here in SE Louisiana, so I think I am doing ok for now with regard to toxicity, but it's building everyday and I want to get a jump on a rotation plan, and this video is motivating me more. I think a good window is 7 to 10 years for me. By the way, love y'alls store. Been there a couple times and cleaned you out of some hive top feeders a few years back and some of your retired entrance feeders. Visit that area with friends from my hometown south of Valdosta. Thanks.
Great vid thanks ! Is it true foundation sheets are made with smaller cell size than what the bees prefer ? I am considering blank wax foundation or starter strips so they can make cells the size they want to ,,
Most commercially produced foundation actually has a cell with a slightly larger measurement than in nature which the bees seem to take too fine. You can order "small cell" foundation from some outlets. Keep in mind that blank foundation could produce lots of drone cells in areas you don't want it.
Thanks for video.i think your right on. Some thing we over look. But will pay close attention to. And try to rotate out.thanks bob. Look forward to your videos. And your knowledge
It makes sense that brood cells shrink over time since part of the cocoons remain behind. But I had figured the bees probably adjusted for that. So I found Jennifer Barry’s data that both brood cell size and adult bee size decreased over time very interesting. I have long observed that when I do cut outs on feral colonies the bees are noticeably smaller. I have always attributed this to natural comb cell size rather than to the fact that these colonies were often using old dark comb. In particularly large colonies, I have also observed that it appears that the bees “abandon” the really dark outside comb when the nest expands horizontally -but less so when the nest is expanding vertically. I wonder if they are choosing to abandon the comb because of the cells size or because of possible contamination or simply because Honey is put to the outside of the brood nest and so perhaps was at one time filled with honey but at the time of my cut out it was empty. Any thoughts on this? Interesting research often leads to more questions 😉
ive found colonies thriving right next to wax moth infested old black comb. i no longer do cutouts but they seemed to let the wax moths have it but not the new combs they are using.
We have caves on Kangaroo Island with bees and their combs hanging from the rock ceiling. As the combs beome black the bees leave them and build new comb. The black comb gets eaten by wax moth and the detritus falls to the floor. Over the years the combs move across the roof, and then back again.
Also: what are the advantages of the plastic foundation? do you have a video talking about that topic? you are great teacher. You have great technology.
We prefer the plastic foundation because it doesn't leave gaps or holes made by by the bees, it stays straight without warping or sagging and it is much more durable.
@@bobbinnie9872 Great, thanks for taking the time for answering. We are from a small town in Argentina, we have always used wire-wax foundations, but we should try new things. When combs get black we send them to a beekeeper who puts them through an extractor with vapor and caustic soda, they get really clean and then we fix them and rewire. Bees have no problem accepting them and we havent got any disease from them. its a good method for saving, we get 1,5usd per kilogram so we need to watch our expenses because we dont have that many colonies. I really like your channel. Blessings.
Im sorry Bob, i didn't undestand what "crimp wire" is and why it makes that gap on the bottom, i always thought that it was because when you put the wax it was to far away from the botom, i always put the new wax touching the bottom. Im a new beekeeper from Argentina, but im second generation beekeper.
Crimp wire foundation is beeswax foundation that is manufactured with a a light gauge reinforcing wire embedded in it. When using any type of wax foundation the bees will often chew along the bottom and leave holes or gaps along the bottom bar.
I understand, that for the most part, you just rotate out the old comb and definitely agree! My question though - you said that specific one (and perhaps a few others?) were on the trash heap - does that mean you also throw out the frame? Is that also important or would it be okay to re-load the frame if it is still sound? Backyard beekeeper here, so my time is not money - just frugal! ❤️🐝🐝 in Northern IL. And , thank you for videos! I have watched almost all and more than once!
Two reasons we throw frames away are because we want to have nice looking frames in the nucs we sell and because there would be a financial cost in labor for cleaning them up so why not just replace them. I honestly don't know how toxic the wood becomes. It's probably not as bad as the wax. If I was going to keep old frames I would probably dip them in a strong bleach solution before reusing.
I appreciate what you do as a beekeeper, I have watched all your videos and started beekeeping this year- there are some people like you on youtube who make great videos. I know on one of your videos you said expanding fast is not a good idea but i feel like i can manage and i want to ask you about a question i cant really find a complete answer -Do you feed pollen patties in early spring and is that effective and if so how effective is it ? 10% growth 20% ? Thank you sir.
Some years we do and some we don't. It depends on the condition of the colonies. Because we don't pollinate almonds anymore or make early nucs I'm not as interested in an extra early buildup so we only use patties on small colonies to help them brood early and make it through the winter. In our area patties can be put on in early January which is at least a month before natural pollen starts coming in. If applied diligently (don't let them run out) it will result in colonies peaking two to three weeks early. This is only helpful if you intend to split or shake early packages otherwise you'll simply produce early swarming. Pollen supplement is an very effective tool if used properly.
I am going into my 3rd year as a hobbyist beekeeper. I learn so much from your videos and love your practical and objective coverage of topics. And I have a comb question. In your opinion, is it safe to render black brood comb and use the wax for candles? I am a little concerned that toxins in the wax could be volatilized by burning the candle and then inhaled. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.
Very helpful, well said! Would you clean up a a older plastic brood frame (if that’s possible) or just recycle it out to keep fresh frames ongoing? Thanks 👍
Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I'm a beginner and I have a question regarding the picture of the old comb that is sliced (cross-section of a cell). As you mentioned it shows many layers, which means the cell will be getting smaller over time (correct?). Does the diminishing cell size has any effect on the health of the brood ?
Yes. We rotate plastic foundation and frames out together. We can generally look at the frame and guess how old it is. You could also mark the frame with a queen marking pen with that years color.
Great and very informative video. I really love you style... Factual, science based and professional...... But still come off as just a fellow beekeeper...... Killer Bees meets Andy Griffith! LOL
Thanks Bob, love your information sessions, been working bees for about 4 years, so this Spring seems to be the right time to start the rotation plan, I gather that Spring is the best time, what about just after the nectar run, in South Africa it is during November to middle January, this year the run was during October? Thanks again, God bless!!
If you rotate in new foundation you will need a nectar flow to get it drawn out so spring would work best. We actually draw out a lot of new comb with sugar syrup so we can do it any time in the active season.
I believe that would be fine. I have a large commercial beekeeper friend that routinely scraps off and pressure washes plastic frames and uses them again.
Bob, great vid. Being a relative newbie, I bought nucs that had very dark brood comb in them. An local bee sensei suggested bees like comb that's been lived in due to the biome they create over time. After watching you discuss the comb replacement, would it be advisable to pop the old black plastic foundation out and insert new foundation ?
Very informative, thank you. How do you feel about Formic Acid as a mite treatment and do you know of any long term build up effects associated with it?
I'm not familiar with any research on this but I do know of a beekeeper that used it several times with honey supers on and he noticed a distinct influence on the taste. I have used it, and t does work on mites, but you have to be careful when you use it in regards to temperature.
The most important thing in my view is full sun. Shady locations definitely have more trouble. We're lucky here, we don't have near the problems they do in south Georgia so we don't do anything but be careful.
But Don the Fat Bee man has told us many times that you can't do better than old dark comb for your bees. this is so frustrating to get polor opposite information from "reputable" beekeepers? how do we really know who to listen to? thanks
The only thing we can do is to gather information that makes sense to us and do the best we can until we're confident in our understanding. You are right, there is a lot of conflicting info on UA-cam and some times it simply comes down to what makes sense for us. I wish you good luck with sorting it out.
I try to get the old comb that came in nucs out quickly, I cannot afford to throw out everything as I am going into my 5 yr. l have a old cattle tub that I fill with bleach and scrap the old black crap off to get the wax for industrial uses and bleach the frames for 12 hrs. They come out clean and shiny so l
@@thehiveandthehoneybee9547 No one is always right about everything, not even Don the Fat Bee man or Bob Binnie. So you can listen to them, they are both skilled beekeepers
You’re a big help and your presentation is calm and quiet, keeps the bees and me calm. And your voice is lovely.
Just getting started with my first season of beekeeping. Thanks for allowing folks like me to glean from your years of accumulated wisdom. Subscribed.
Best of luck!
This is my first year.... And I received black comb and was thinking it was to dirty and old to use but was told the bees would love it... The bee farm has been in business since 1927 so I trusted his opinion but still had my doubts. He said he sends his bees to California each year for almonds. I am very happy you talked about this topic because my fear of using his black old comb was right. I only have a few frames he entered but I will be changing them out asap. Thank you very helpful info for my first year.
The point about the immediate transfer of possible harmful compunds into the honey when using a hot knife to open the cells is great information. Thanks again for your time and for sharing your experience with us.
As a retired beekeeper, I totally agree with you vis the old comb philosophy. As a retired beekeeper (if you ever really retire), I many years ago changed the way that I kept bees, I winter with two boxes, come bud swell I add a box of starter strips and foundation, but I add this to the bottom of the stack, I then shake down the bees from the top box and add a pollen sub patty and an excluder before placing the top box back. By doing this the oldest that any frame in the hive can be is two years old, hence greatly reduced wax moth issues, and no old comb.
Thanks for the comment.
This was an incredible presentation. Invaluable for a new Beek. Thank you sir.
Not sure why but I missed this vid, most interesting and thank you Bob, I am a retired commercial beekeeper, and some years back I changed my basic practice in order to get rid of old brood comb, I only have one sized box, full deeps. It suites me to winter in two deep boxes, here in Australia because we have some winter honey and pollen because the native trees tend to flower mid winter. At bud swell i add an extra box of starter strips to the bottom of each hive, I then shake out the top box before adding an excluder and replacing the old top box, I then wait three weeks and just as the blossoms are bursting i remove the top box and replace it with a new box of starter strips, this is my spring honey super. all the frames in the hive are now a max 2 years old, and I will have fresh new wax with the new seasons honey in it.
That last part was indeed helpful for my level of beekeeping.
Great close up photos...those thickened cell walls tell it all. Many thanks for this post!
Glad you enjoyed it
Mr Binnie, I find all your videos to be some of the best on UA-cam. I've been told by others you can keep old comb for twenty plus years and the bees prefer it. I purchased several nuc's years back and ended up with a lot of old black comb and the bees did poorly until I replaced the frames. It just goes to show you you can't believe everything you hear. I'm retiring this year from a lifetime in telecommunications. I currently manage just under twenty five colonies and I am hoping to expand to seventy five production hives in the near future. Wish I started this many years ago. I just love working with these little creatures!!
It's a great sideline business. Good luck.
Thank you Mr. Binnie for this in depth educational video concerning aged comb. I'm a hobbyist beekeeper in North, GA and watching your channel has increased my knowledge immensely. I look very forward to possibly meeting you when I come up to visit your store in Lakemont, GA. Your demeanor, teaching skills, and knowing you have 40+ years experience command respect from anyone in my opinion, be it hobbyist, sideliner, or commercial operator. Realizing this is a VERY busy time of year for you, again I sincerely appreciate you taking your valuable time to help those like me who seek out great, tried and true beekeeping information. Rodney 😃
Thank you.
I run about 2000 colonies and I just have to say thank you for getting the info out by making these videos really like them
Thanks.
Once again BOb, you made another great educational point that i feel most do not think of. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Im learning more and more each year.
Thanks.
Bob, that macro lens resulted in some great, informative photos at the end of your presentation. When I first encountered black comb, my bees would not deposit any honey in the cells, and that's when I knew it was a problem. Your tip about moving the black comb in the spring is the advice I've sought for a long time, thanks!
Thank you.
Great information, it closes the gaps in a lot of unanswered questions in beekeeping today.
Thanks
Great subject Bob, and as always very well said, thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience with the bee keeping world.
Love the new camera lens the detail in those pictures is outstanding wow!
Keep up the good work and stay safe ( social distancing )
Thank you.
A superb presentation.
Thanks Bob.
Thanks.
I had a suspicion that in Australia, at least in Victoria, we have experienced this. My strategy was always to move the darker comb to the top 3rd or 4th box. This means that those comb see the extractor more often and last less longer as a result.
Now that I have watched this video I will cease that system and ditch the bad ones. I don't use plastic foundation, so replacing the foundation is a bit of time but now I see it is worth it.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge..
Thanks for the comment.
I believe you hit the nail on the head here, Bob! Thanks for doing this video.
Thanks.
Just came across your video and boy did you ever help me out !! Went from 42 hives last fall to one this spring. Never would have dreamed changing types of mite control would have bit me that hard.
Glad it was helpfull.
Fantastic video, very informative, thank you very much.
Recently discovered your channel and I am learning so much. Thank you!
I'm glad it's helpful.
Wow. That give year old come looks bad, but that comb of an unknown age looks looks like it came from an old egyptian tomb.
Very cool closeup shots with that macro lens!
Thanks for this video.
Thanks.
Marion Ellis helped me understand beekeeping as a teenager in nebraska. Getting back into bees after 30 year break.
He's a great person.
I also find that to demonstrate the longer term consequences of putting chemicals in beehives. It's just not good for the bees or us, and having to clean it out of the hives on a frequent and regular basis demonstrates that quite well.
The environment is also a huge factor.
Makes sense in nature the hive would move,not stay in same home(box) for years and years.
I’m new to beekeeping and that was one of the most informative videos I’ve watched. Thank you.
Thanks.
Excellent video!! Really enjoying your channel all the way from wales in the U.K. 😊🏴
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Damin Daling I agree. Very good video for someone like myself who had only been beekeeping for a few years.
I’ve had a frame in my hive of a swarm I caught in June... the bees wouldn’t do anything with it, I finally removed it! Thanks for the video!
The mass of 10 thousand bees hatched in light combs will be equal to 1 kg, in brown ones - 0.838 kg, in dark ones - 0.671 kg. To obtain equal honey productivity with bees grown in light combs, it will take about 2 times more bees that hatch in combs after 10-fold hatching, and 5 times more bees grown in dark combs. To hatch 1 kg of bees in light combs, 2.5 kg of honey are consumed, in brown ones - 2.9 kg, in dark ones - 3.7 kg
So if I'm understanding that correctly: the older the brood comb means the more resources they consume to produce the same harvest amount of honey? Possibly also ability to build new wax? So that means the longer the old dark brown brood comb is left in the hive the less capable the population is able to make new comb (then fill it) when we do remove old comb????
I was also wondering about toxins in the wax: When we render the wax to make candles. My friend has a dozen hives and as he builds them up I'm learning and hoping together we can increase what is a happy and social interaction with hives in the gardens of friends around the city suburbs.
If we swap out old dark comb and they build new comb. How often is it suggested to do that? But also rendering down the older darker wax could a few cycles "wash out" the brood and most toxins? Ie so burning the candle isn't going to be releasing non water soluble toxins from in the wax and release them as heated toxins into the air when we burn it as a candle???
There is some great information in this video! Although I have yet to start beekeeping, I do plan to in the near future. In the meantime, I'm learning as much as I can absorb from videos like this one. THANK-You for sharing this video!
Thanks for watching.
I came to this channel because Kamon Reynolds recommended you very highly!
Thank you and thank you Kamon
Whoo Bob, I was feeling good that I actually made a double screened bottom board and used it! 😊
Missed having you at the Forsyth Meeting. Appreciate you sharing your knowledge
Thanks
Thanks Bob, please keep the videos coming....definitely consider them a must-watch
Thanks.
Great video Bob! You did a wonderful job explaining various chemicals, how the interact on brood comb and the impact to the bees. As a hobbyist approaching sideliner beekeeper I value years of experience and appreciate you taking the time to share. Thank you!
Thanks.
Long-term observations of the Research Institute of Beekeeping show that bees from families with a nest mainly from old dark combs collect 40-47% less honey than families with high-quality combs
Makes perfect nature sense. If we look at hive beetles and wax moths they force old comb to be removed then the bees move back in make new comb and start the process all over again. We as beekeepers need to take the place of the wax moth and beetles by rotating old comb out.
Makes a lot of sense, I have been treating hives with oxalic acid vapors for the third year, it doesn’t leave residue and is organic 100%
Nothing better than new comb....fresh is best! Thanks. Keep them coming!
More on my mind. Just have to get the time.
thanks- sounds like good principle to include in my system
So if it's on plastic foundation would you scrape and reuse it or toss the whole thing. Thanks for sharing or knowledge I find it priceless.
We just replace the whole thing.
Great video Bob thanks
Thanks.
Bob, thank you so much for posting this video. I like you, have been advocating for a number of years that comb culling is essential for healthy beekeeping. It amazes me the amount of pushback I've had over the years. Thanks again, HONEY B GUYS
Thanks
GREAT INFO,,COOL PICS for the curious,,,In the wild they swarmed an made new homes so the theory of changing out old comb an they grow better i think is true,,,im replacing my beekeepers nuc frames,,clean them for late summer flow
Fully agree with you I dont keep old combs in my hives
I have watched all your videos. Am a PhD. I find super great info.
Very Interesting, Thanks for the well delivered information, also great photos, the cross cut section of the old comb is self evident of your discussion on smaller bees! Thank You, Best of luck with your bee season.
Thank you.
I've never seen such a wisdom .. God bless you..
I want to thank u for the videos u make they are great I just made me 3 of them devider boards for 8 frame hives I had to do splits today put 2 queen cell in each a swarm I just cought a month ago if fixen to swarm again it is the breed they swarm them selves to death they did so good it was unreal the mother hive is struggling the nector flow is on and is going to be over in june and they want to swarm. I just wanted to say thank u u do a great job
Thanks.
Very much appreciated. Seldom discussed as a management tool.
Thanks.
How do you dispose of the old comb? Your video was very informative.
We throw in the dumpster, including the frame. Thanks.
I've subscribed , Liked every video ,and spent the last month , listening to every word ,I've Got a Older man thats been keeping for years and years and his Son , That's my age that's took me under their wings this year. The Older Gentleman isn't able to help psychically , but share ageless Knowledge , His son's been doing it since childhood , I watched him catch his first swarm this year , and then let me Catch the next one pretty much by myself with him watching . ,,, After we saw that swarm was doing good , I transported them to my house as my own and Love it . I was listening to every video i could and finally decided on your channel to stick with,,,,There's to many opinions for a new-Bee, But I live just barely east of Asheville N.C. and so we're close and Enjoy your Teaching and Knowledge ,,, I grew up working and never stopped , I can fix just about anything thats tore up , Build Houses , Plumb, wire ,,Mechanic But the world of Honey Bees is amazing,, way too much to learn ,,, in short time ,,, But I'll keep listening and learning ,,, Thank you so much for your efforts ! God Bless ya!
Thank you. There's plenty to learn. Nobody knows all there is to know about bees.
Thank you Bob!
Great info and video. With my MS degree I learned about chemistry and all that stuff but never thought about how that would apply to comb. I agree that there is no magic number of years that we should reuse comb, but if I was going to the orchards I would hope that I'd recycle my comb sooner than if I was in the mountains away from ag chemicals. It was great to get a new video it's been so long and you always have so much info that you share. Wish you had more time to share. I built a double screen board for my bees because of your info shared. Take care and keep the bees flying.
Thanks.
That was a fantastic video thanks a lot I’m in U.K. and only gasvap me bees and glad I do now 👍🇬🇧
Very important video , thank you for making it . Take care and be safe .
Thanks.
Very interesting and informative. I never miss a Bob Binnie video. Thanks Bob 👍👍🐝🐝
Thank you.
Great video Bob thanks buddy, I only gasvap my bees and I’m glad I do now 🇬🇧👍
I look forward to your videos. Your presentation and information are top notch.
Thanks.
Good video. 2-3 years new comb, and no plastic. (30 hives, hobbyist)
Thank you.
Next time you get a chance Would you be able to show how to change out a whole box of old combs to new combs. I would think it would be very invasive for the bees. I’m am concerned about killing too many.
Overwinter your colony in three boxes and the bottom box will most likely be empty in the early spring and you can take it away.
A very informative presentation....do you throw out the old comb or can it be melted, cleaned and reused as a prep for new plastic foundation? Thank you.
We throw old dark away. I would not recommend using wax melted from old comb.
Thank you Bob...will not use it to prep new foundation.
I appreciate this video thank you
Great video Bob. So just a couple days ago I did a video and have still to edit it, on whether old comb will also affect a laying pattern. I have been in a hive where an old comb had a bad pattern, yet a frame or two over she had a great pattern. Just got me to thinking about cell wall size being built up, along with small bees, and whether it could affect the laying pattern. So I have this hive that is getting up to about 5 years and the brood is rough. Plenty of solid eggs, but the bees are yanking a lot of larvae out and leaving it very spotty. Yea, most likely the queen, but I figured I'd try and see what happens with some newer comb and some foundation to be drawn. So who knows. Going to try it a few times as I see spotty patterns in old comb. Had a poisoning 2 years ago and lost most my hives and this one survived. So a lot of the comb in my boxes isn't terribly old, but I am planning to implement a rotation next year with some of the older stuff. Low Ag down here in SE Louisiana, so I think I am doing ok for now with regard to toxicity, but it's building everyday and I want to get a jump on a rotation plan, and this video is motivating me more. I think a good window is 7 to 10 years for me. By the way, love y'alls store. Been there a couple times and cleaned you out of some hive top feeders a few years back and some of your retired entrance feeders. Visit that area with friends from my hometown south of Valdosta. Thanks.
Thanks for the comment. Seven to ten years sounds plenty good in your case.
Very helpful information.
Thank you for the video. You are the best.
Thanks, glad you liked it.
From Athens, Ga. Thank you for making these videos! You are a blessing from God.
Glad you like them!
Great vid thanks ! Is it true foundation sheets are made with smaller cell size than what the bees prefer ? I am considering blank wax foundation or starter strips so they can make cells the size they want to ,,
Most commercially produced foundation actually has a cell with a slightly larger measurement than in nature which the bees seem to take too fine. You can order "small cell" foundation from some outlets. Keep in mind that blank foundation could produce lots of drone cells in areas you don't want it.
Great advice, thanks for sharing.
Very good points.
Thanks
That's some very good information right there. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks.
Great video Bob, thanks for all the information!
Thank you.
Bob, thank you so much for posting this video.
My pleasure!
Very good information, Bob. Thank You!!
Thanks.
You will get it down on your queens. Great work.
Thanks for video.i think your right on. Some thing we over look. But will pay close attention to. And try to rotate out.thanks bob. Look forward to your videos. And your knowledge
Thank you.
Excellent video, thanks! Beautiful photos, what is the lens you are using?
Canon 28mm macro. Some of the photos were made closer in editing.
It makes sense that brood cells shrink over time since part of the cocoons remain behind. But I had figured the bees probably adjusted for that. So I found Jennifer Barry’s data that both brood cell size and adult bee size decreased over time very interesting. I have long observed that when I do cut outs on feral colonies the bees are noticeably smaller. I have always attributed this to natural comb cell size rather than to the fact that these colonies were often using old dark comb.
In particularly large colonies, I have also observed that it appears that the bees “abandon” the really dark outside comb when the nest expands horizontally -but less so when the nest is expanding vertically. I wonder if they are choosing to abandon the comb because of the cells size or because of possible contamination or simply because Honey is put to the outside of the brood nest and so perhaps was at one time filled with honey but at the time of my cut out it was empty. Any thoughts on this?
Interesting research often leads to more questions 😉
Hi Amy. You raise interesting questions to which I don't have an adequate answer. I have no experience with cut outs or horizontal hives. Thanks.
ive found colonies thriving right next to wax moth infested old black comb. i no longer do cutouts but they seemed to let the wax moths have it but not the new combs they are using.
We have caves on Kangaroo Island with bees and their combs hanging from the rock ceiling. As the combs beome black the bees leave them and build new comb. The black comb gets eaten by wax moth and the detritus falls to the floor. Over the years the combs move across the roof, and then back again.
Also: what are the advantages of the plastic foundation? do you have a video talking about that topic? you are great teacher. You have great technology.
We prefer the plastic foundation because it doesn't leave gaps or holes made by by the bees, it stays straight without warping or sagging and it is much more durable.
@@bobbinnie9872 Great, thanks for taking the time for answering. We are from a small town in Argentina, we have always used wire-wax foundations, but we should try new things. When combs get black we send them to a beekeeper who puts them through an extractor with vapor and caustic soda, they get really clean and then we fix them and rewire. Bees have no problem accepting them and we havent got any disease from them. its a good method for saving, we get 1,5usd per kilogram so we need to watch our expenses because we dont have that many colonies. I really like your channel. Blessings.
you and I have the same vlogging camera....and macro lens it appears. Canon M50...... it has a learning curve for sure for this old salt.
Yes, I'm still learning how to use it.
Im sorry Bob, i didn't undestand what "crimp wire" is and why it makes that gap on the bottom, i always thought that it was because when you put the wax it was to far away from the botom, i always put the new wax touching the bottom. Im a new beekeeper from Argentina, but im second generation beekeper.
Crimp wire foundation is beeswax foundation that is manufactured with a a light gauge reinforcing wire embedded in it. When using any type of wax foundation the bees will often chew along the bottom and leave holes or gaps along the bottom bar.
I understand, that for the most part, you just rotate out the old comb and definitely agree! My question though - you said that specific one (and perhaps a few others?) were on the trash heap - does that mean you also throw out the frame? Is that also important or would it be okay to re-load the frame if it is still sound? Backyard beekeeper here, so my time is not money - just frugal! ❤️🐝🐝 in Northern IL.
And , thank you for videos! I have watched almost all and more than once!
Two reasons we throw frames away are because we want to have nice looking frames in the nucs we sell and because there would be a financial cost in labor for cleaning them up so why not just replace them. I honestly don't know how toxic the wood becomes. It's probably not as bad as the wax. If I was going to keep old frames I would probably dip them in a strong bleach solution before reusing.
I appreciate what you do as a beekeeper, I have watched all your videos and started beekeeping this year- there are some people like you on youtube who make great videos.
I know on one of your videos you said expanding fast is not a good idea but i feel like i can manage and i want to ask you about a question i cant really find a complete answer -Do you feed pollen patties in early spring and is that effective and if so how effective is it ? 10% growth 20% ? Thank you sir.
Some years we do and some we don't. It depends on the condition of the colonies. Because we don't pollinate almonds anymore or make early nucs I'm not as interested in an extra early buildup so we only use patties on small colonies to help them brood early and make it through the winter. In our area patties can be put on in early January which is at least a month before natural pollen starts coming in. If applied diligently (don't let them run out) it will result in colonies peaking two to three weeks early. This is only helpful if you intend to split or shake early packages otherwise you'll simply produce early swarming. Pollen supplement is an very effective tool if used properly.
I am going into my 3rd year as a hobbyist beekeeper. I learn so much from your videos and love your practical and objective coverage of topics. And I have a comb question. In your opinion, is it safe to render black brood comb and use the wax for candles? I am a little concerned that toxins in the wax could be volatilized by burning the candle and then inhaled. Any thoughts on this? Thanks.
I'm not an expert at that but I would be inclined to have the same concerns that you do. Personally I wouldn't do it.
Many many thnx to u.keep informed us.😊
Very helpful, well said! Would you clean up a a older plastic brood frame (if that’s possible) or just recycle it out to keep fresh frames ongoing? Thanks 👍
I honestly don't know how much, if any, toxins a plastic frame would hold on to. We simply replace those too.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge. I'm a beginner and I have a question regarding the picture of the old comb that is sliced (cross-section of a cell). As you mentioned it shows many layers, which means the cell will be getting smaller over time (correct?). Does the diminishing cell size has any effect on the health of the brood ?
The smaller cell produces smaller bees but I don't believe it correlates to poor health. However, the assorted contaminants embedded in the layers do.
I'm curious how you know how old your plastic foundation is. Surely, the same comb-rotation argument applies to that too?
Yes. We rotate plastic foundation and frames out together. We can generally look at the frame and guess how old it is. You could also mark the frame with a queen marking pen with that years color.
Great and very informative video.
I really love you style... Factual, science based and professional...... But still come off as just a fellow beekeeper...... Killer Bees meets Andy Griffith! LOL
Thank you, I think.
@@bobbinnie9872 certainly meant as praise! LOL
Thanks Bob, love your information sessions, been working bees for about 4 years, so this Spring seems to be the right time to start the rotation plan, I gather that Spring is the best time, what about just after the nectar run, in South Africa it is during November to middle January, this year the run was during October?
Thanks again, God bless!!
If you rotate in new foundation you will need a nectar flow to get it drawn out so spring would work best. We actually draw out a lot of new comb with sugar syrup so we can do it any time in the active season.
@@bobbinnie9872 Thanks Bob, makes alot of sense, thank you and God bless!!
don't forget Arsenic is organic... great video!
I run plastic frames. What is your thoughts about scraping off the wax and reusing the frames?
I believe that would be fine. I have a large commercial beekeeper friend that routinely scraps off and pressure washes plastic frames and uses them again.
Thank you for responding.
Great information! Thanks Bob!!
Thank you.
Bob, great vid. Being a relative newbie, I bought nucs that had very dark brood comb in them. An local bee sensei suggested bees like comb that's been lived in due to the biome they create over time. After watching you discuss the comb replacement, would it be advisable to pop the old black plastic foundation out and insert new foundation ?
Many beekeepers do that to save money on the frame but we like to replace the whole thing.
Cool shots with your camera!
Thanks.
Very informative, thank you. How do you feel about Formic Acid as a mite treatment and do you know of any long term build up effects associated with it?
I'm not familiar with any research on this but I do know of a beekeeper that used it several times with honey supers on and he noticed a distinct influence on the taste. I have used it, and t does work on mites, but you have to be careful when you use it in regards to temperature.
Whats the best method to keep small hive bettle out of the hive or control it ?what do you do to keep them in check?
The most important thing in my view is full sun. Shady locations definitely have more trouble. We're lucky here, we don't have near the problems they do in south Georgia so we don't do anything but be careful.
But Don the Fat Bee man has told us many times that you can't do better than old dark comb for your bees. this is so frustrating to get polor opposite information from "reputable" beekeepers? how do we really know who to listen to? thanks
The only thing we can do is to gather information that makes sense to us and do the best we can until we're confident in our understanding. You are right, there is a lot of conflicting info on UA-cam and some times it simply comes down to what makes sense for us. I wish you good luck with sorting it out.
@@bobbinnie9872 Thank you for replying. I'm leaning towards your reasoning. I wish I hadn't wasted literally years listening to Don.
I try to get the old comb that came in nucs out quickly, I cannot afford to throw out everything as I am going into my 5 yr. l have a old cattle tub that I fill with bleach and scrap the old black crap off to get the wax for industrial uses and bleach the frames for 12 hrs. They come out clean and shiny so l
Opps so I can relax with capping wax
@@thehiveandthehoneybee9547 No one is always right about everything, not even Don the Fat Bee man or Bob Binnie. So you can listen to them, they are both skilled beekeepers
Do you have any research on oxalic acid being synergistic with other treatments? (Brood comb)
No, I have not seen any research showing problems.