Honeycombs are essential to the survival of every honeybee colony. They provide the structure where brood is reared and where honey and pollen are stored for future use. During hive inspections, however, beekeepers may notice white material inside or on the combs. It may appear as damp white patches or as hard, crystal-like deposits, leading many to suspect disease or pest activity. In reality, these white substances can have several causes, most of which are […]

Dark honeycombs are a natural feature of established honeybee colonies and are usually the result of brood combs being used repeatedly over time. As comb ages, it gradually changes from pale yellow to deep brown or almost black. In some cases, honey stored in these older combs may also appear darker, especially when it comes from nectar sources that naturally produce rich, dark honey. What Causes Honeycombs to Turn Dark? If you are inspecting a […]

Beekeeping is full of unexpected events, some rewarding and others more challenging. One issue that every beekeeper should understand is honeybee robbing. You may hear experienced beekeepers refer to “robber bees” and assume they are a special type of honeybee, but they are not. Robber bees are ordinary worker bees that invade another colony to steal its honey. They break open capped honey cells, fill their honey stomachs, and return to their own hive with […]

A honeybee colony is a remarkable example of organization and efficiency. Tens of thousands of bees live and work together as a self-sustaining community, with each bee performing specialized duties that support the survival of the colony. One of their most important responsibilities is constructing honeycomb. Although bees instinctively build comb on their own, beekeepers can take several steps to encourage faster comb production. This article explores practical ways to help honeybees build comb more […]

Brace comb is one of the many types of comb (see bridge comb, cross comb) that is built in places beekeepers do not expect or want honeycomb to be built by honey bees. As its name suggests, brace comb is drawn by honey bees in beehives to support regular honeycomb from falling. It usually attaches to the sides of the beehive.

Brace comb can be built in any type of beehive but is usually more common in top bar and Warré hives. This is because Langstroth beehives have beehive frames whose sides present a barrier between honeycombs and brace comb that bees might draw. In Warré and top bar hives, there are no frames used, and so bees find it easy to draw comb onto the sides of the beehive.

Comb in unwanted places in a beehive is not entirely unusual in beekeeping. It is more of a norm than the exception. Every beekeeper encounters such honeycomb in beekeeping. Vigilance against unwanted comb is the best respite, you want to see it early and take care of it before it gets out of hand. In this article, we’ll discuss how you can deal with brace comb.

Honey bees naturally build honeycomb both inside managed hives and in the wild. Under normal conditions, comb is constructed in straight, vertical sheets that maintain a consistent width. Occasionally, however, bees build comb that extends sideways and connects two or more frames instead of remaining within a single frame. This type of irregular comb is known as bridge comb. Beekeepers may also encounter comb built in other unintended locations within the hive. Along with brace […]

Any beekeeper, especially a beginner, hopes to avoid finding burr comb in a beehive. Burr comb develops when the gaps between frames are larger than the proper bee space. Frames should be evenly spaced, with enough room for bees to move freely between the combs and other parts of the hive. If the spacing is either too wide or too narrow, the bees will respond by altering the space to suit their needs. Burr comb […]

Cross comb is honeycomb that honey bees build between two adjacent beehive frames instead of keeping it within a single frame. It develops when bees extend comb sideways until it reaches and attaches to the neighboring frame, causing the comb on both frames to become joined. As one of the most common forms of misplaced comb, cross comb can interfere with normal hive management if it is allowed to develop. Honey bees construct honeycomb primarily […]

Beekeeping faces threats from many pests, diseases, and predators. Beehives made of wood face threats from termites. Protecting beehives from termites reduces the operating cost of beekeeping, leading to higher earnings. Beekeeping is a popular commercial activity in the United States and many other places worldwide. Termites are one of the major pests identified as affecting beekeeping. Beekeepers need not worry however, as there are various simple methods to prevent termites from attacking wooden beehives.

The task of disposing of a beehive is never an easy one given the fact that honeybees easily respond aggressively to any kind of intrusion. It is therefore wise to contact a professional if you are in doubt about how best to do it. The work requires the necessary equipment backed with know-how and experience. This makes it possible to dispose of the hive without harming the honeybees. Any beekeeper can however do this if trained on how to do it. We shall cover the safe ways of disposing of beehives. We however recommend that bees be left alone if they have not caused any trouble.