Regular hive inspections

Scrape away burr comb and brace comb during every routine hive inspection before it becomes established. Catching irregular comb early keeps frames movable, preserves bee space, and prevents honey or brood from being laid in hard-to-manage locations.

Why It Works

Freshly built burr and brace comb is soft, unoccupied, and easy to remove with a single pass of a hive tool. Left unchecked, bees reinforce it with propolis, fill it with stores or brood, and attach it firmly to adjacent surfaces, making later removal destructive and stressful for the colony.

Tips

• Inspect hives every 7 to 10 days during the active season
• Slide the hive tool flat along the top bars to shear off burr comb before lifting frames
• Remove brace comb between frames by twisting the hive tool gently between them
• Place scrapings in a container to render into wax later rather than leaving them near the hive entrance