Why Bees Don't Build Comb and How to Solve It

First, beehive problems

Beehive problems here include the hive having an unusual odor, the hive being placed in a shaky position, and so on, but most commonly it is the hive having an unusual odor. Bees are quite strict about their hives, especially for wild bees we have newly caught. If the hive has an unusual odor, it is very likely to cause the colony to abscond. When we first catch them, the colony goes through an adaptation period, but if during this adaptation period the colony still does not adapt to the hive's unusual odor, then the colony will abscond. So before the colony absconds, the colony will not produce comb, because the bees simply do not regard the odd-smelling hive we gave them as their home, and naturally they will not build comb inside this hive.

For the situation of a hive having an unusual odor, we can deal with it by replacing it with an old hive, and we can also deodorize our new hive. For many of us who keep Chinese bees as a hobby, because our understanding of hives is not thorough enough, quite a few people still use traditional self-made square hives and barrel hives. Most of these hives have not been deodorized. If the wood used to make the hive itself has an unusual odor, the bees naturally will not settle in such a hive, and naturally will not lay eggs in it either. So those of us who make our own hives should, after finishing the hive, best deodorize it and keep it for later use, to avoid using it directly to house bees and causing the bees to abscond.

Second, no nectar source outside

Besides a hive with an unusual odor causing bees not to build comb, no nectar source outside is also a reason bees do not build comb. When there is no nectar source outside, the bees will regulate the number of bees in the whole colony, and the queen will also reduce or even stop laying eggs, in order to reduce the bees and reduce the consumption of honey in the colony. At this time, in order to keep the colony warm and cool it, the bees will try to keep the ratio of bees to comb in the colony as balanced as possible, and naturally will stop building comb.

For this situation, when nectar sources are scarce we should feed the bees supplementary feed. When there is sufficient feed in the colony, the bees will naturally actively build comb.

Third, insufficient feed

This situation is similar to the situation of insufficient nectar sources outside, and it will likewise cause the bees in the colony to be inactive in building comb. The solution is the same as for no nectar source outside.

Fourth, the colony is too weak

Some people, as long as they see that the three types of bees in a colony are normal, think that this colony can develop rapidly, so even if the bees build comb a little slowly, they feel the colony is not building comb. In fact, if there are too few worker bees in a colony, both nectar collection and egg laying will be affected. And some of us are too impatient, wishing the colony could fill an entire hive with comb in a single day, so they keep adding foundation to the hive, even if there are only three to five bees on a piece of foundation. In fact, doing this not only affects the bees' comb building, but even threatens the reproduction of the colony.

For this situation, we should add sealed brood combs to the colony, and at the same time strengthen supplementary feed, because a weak colony has weak nectar-collecting ability, and even if there is a nectar source outside, its nectar-collecting ability is limited. At the same time, reduce the foundation in the colony, and try to match the number of bees in the colony with the amount of comb, so that the colony has a chance to gradually develop.