Drawing comb is the bees' work of turning foundation into usable comb. Drawn comb is one of the beekeeper's most valuable assets.

Why it is valuable

Producing wax takes energy; the bees must consume markedly more honey to make it.

Ready drawn comb therefore converts directly into yield during a flow: the bees do not have to build, they fill.

When comb is drawn

Bees produce wax only under suitable conditions:

• There must be a flow. Without nectar coming in the colony does not build
• The colony must be populous. The wax glands work in bees of a certain age
• The weather must be warm. Wax must soften to be worked

Giving foundation when there is no flow achieves nothing; the bees ignore it or chew it.

How to make it easier

• Place it between drawn combs. The gap directs the bees to build
• Give it near the brood. Building is faster in the warm zone
• Feed lightly if the flow is weak. The impression of a flow stimulates wax production
• Do not give too much at once. More foundation than the colony can handle is drawn crooked

It must be taut and straight

Foundation fitted loose or crooked is drawn crooked. Crooked comb ends the interchangeability of frames — the entire gain of the system.

Wiring and fixing are therefore not a detail but the heart of the matter.

Comb renewal

Old comb accumulates three things: disease agents, chemical residues and cocoons. The cells narrow over time.

Renewing a fixed proportion of the brood combs each year is common practice. Dark combs are taken out first.

The comb removed becomes a wax source; having foundation made from your own cappings wax breaks the residue cycle.

The drone frame

In an empty frame given without foundation the bees build freely and generally make drone comb.

When it is capped it is cut out. Because Varroa prefers drone brood this is a practical way of reducing mite numbers without chemicals. If it is not cut in time the mites emerge and the method backfires.

Storage

• Drawn comb must be protected against wax moth
• Keeping it cold is the safest method
• Storing it spaced apart in a light, airy place also works
• Do not keep dark brood combs for long