bee-keeperComb is the colony's skeleton — it's where brood is raised and honey and pollen are stored. The bees build it themselves from wax glands, and it costs them dearly: to make a kilogram of wax they burn through several kilograms of honey. So treat comb with care, but without superstition — it's a working material that must be renewed over time.
How bees draw comb
Young workers secrete wax in tiny flakes from glands under the abdomen, then chew and shape them into perfect hexagonal cells. Drawing comb takes a warm cluster and a strong flow or feeding — it goes fastest at the peak of spring build-up. Fresh comb is pale, almost white and brittle; over time it darkens from yellow, through brown, to nearly black.
Foundation or foundationless
Most beekeepers let the bees draw comb on foundation — a thin wax (or plastic) sheet embossed with the cell pattern and fixed into the frame. It gives the bees direction, so they build flat worker comb in the plane of the frame.
- With foundation — even, flat comb that is easy to handle and extract, with correct frame spacing
- Foundationless — the bees choose the cell size and build more drone comb; cheaper and more natural, but it needs gentle handling so fresh comb doesn't break off
Both approaches work. If you're just starting, foundation makes the job easier.
What good and bad comb looks like
Good comb is flat, in the plane of the frame, with neat worker cells and no large holes or bulges. Bad comb you recognise by signs that harm the colony's health:
- Wavy or crooked comb that crosses from frame to frame (burr or cross comb)
- Comb full of deepened, elongated cells — often a sign of a failing or drone-laying queen
- Mouldy, foul-smelling comb, or comb with the remains of dead brood
Why and how often to replace old comb
Old, black comb is the biggest hidden burden on an apiary. Over the years the cells grow narrower from accumulated cocoons, so the bees hatched in them get smaller. More importantly, wax absorbs and holds residues of medicines, pesticides and disease agents (nosema spores, American foulbrood and more).
- Replace your oldest comb every year — aim for no frame staying in use longer than about three years
- Cull frames that are completely black, broken or damaged, even if younger
- It's easiest in spring: push old comb to the edge of the brood nest and replace it with foundation during the build-up
Cell types: worker and drone
Bees build two main cell sizes. Worker cells are smaller and make up most of the comb — workers are raised in them, and honey and pollen are stored there. Drone cells are larger, with domed cappings, for rearing drones. A little drone comb is normal and even useful: one frame of it makes a deliberate varroa trap, since the mites breed readily in drone brood.
Storing comb and protecting it from wax moth
Drawn comb is a treasure — it saves the bees weeks of work. But empty comb outside the hive is attacked by the wax moth, whose larvae tunnel through and destroy it, especially dark comb that once held brood.
- Store comb in a cool, light, airy place — the moth hates light and moving air
- Pale, new comb is far less attractive to the moth than old, dark comb
- For longer storage, freeze frames for 24–48 hours to kill the moth's eggs and larvae
- Avoid naphthalene and other chemicals that linger in the wax and honey
Rendering and reusing beeswax
Don't throw away old comb, extracting cappings or scraps of burr comb — render them into wax. Melt it with steam, in a solar melter, or in water (never over a direct flame, as it is flammable). The clean wax goes into new foundation, candles or cosmetics. Many beekeepers trade their wax for ready-made foundation — only deal with trusted processors, as foundation too can carry disease and residues.
Comb is the living inventory of your apiary — in the app you can track frame age and drawn comb per hive, so you always know which comb it's time to cull.