drawn comb on feeder

[doormaster77]

I have drawn comb and capped brood on one side of my 1 gallon feeder tank.(2 ladder top fill-type) I was ready to add my second medium hive box so I had to move the feeder up into the new box and put waxed foundations in it's place. Is it ok to move the feeder tank with the bees and all into the new box? I was a little worried about doing this.

[kathyp]

go for it.  you might have to cut some loose.  when you do, try to make the frame next to it as even as you can so that they build the replacement frame properly.  in fact, i'd probably slide that frame over and put the new frame between that one and the next over.  moving brood into the new box is a good thing.

[doormaster77]

Thanks KathyP that's certainly a relief to hear. I had trouble getting the tenth frame into to the first hive box and wasn't sure what to do with it because it is about one and a half ties wider than it should be. Should I just leave it with nine frames or trim back the comb to make it fit?
Thanks for your help.

[kathyp]

i would trim back the comb.  if you leave that space or try to spread the other frames to fill it, they will make a mess.  you may sacrifice some brood or honey, but that's ok. 

[AllenF]

I have a few brood boxes with 9 frames in them.   The results of not paying attention or not fixing a problem before it was too late.   It is a mess to fix.   Some I have fixed, others I said screw it and will wait until they die out or I get around to trading our frames.   Fix frame problems as soon as they are noticed.  Also, never forget that you have division board feeders in there either.   They can fill one with comb in a couple of days if they need that room.   I found one this year.

[doormaster77]

I successfully trimmed the comb off the feeder tank and it was rebuilt after a week. I removed all the comb from the side of the feeder tank and moved it to the opposite end of the second box. I have 10 frames in the bottom box and 8 are fully drawn. The 2 end ones are not drawn so far. The second box already has 2 frames drawn and lots of new bees working. Some of the comb on the tank that was removed had some nectar and eggs present. So I know the queen has been busy. Do the bees usually leave the end frames undrawn, or will they eventually use up that space as well? Should I move drawn comb to the outer frame positions and the empty frames in towards the center? Or will that just make the bees confused?