what to put in mason jars for bees to make comb

The drinking glass jar comb honey super shown beneath is a refinement of the one made by beekeeper Morris Ostrofsky of southwestern Oregon. A detailed description of Morris' equipment and procedure tin be found here: Glass Jar Beekeeping—Creating Edible Art.

Later reading his account, I decided to brand several tweaks to fit my own state of affairs. The first has to exercise with the lay of the state. Although I adore Oregon—it is my favorite state—the Willamette Valley is equally flat as a bowling alley. In fact, if that crazy river weren't in the way, I'yard sure a ball released in Eugene wouldn't stop rolling until information technology reached Salem, some 70 miles away.

Drilling with a pigsty saw.

In contrast, my hives are perched on a hillside. To go there I have to climb a steep path crisscrossed by streams, mossy stumps, viney things with spines, and downed copse. Information technology would never piece of work for me to have glass jars sitting loosely on pinnacle of holes. No, my jars demand to exist anchored in place—virtually earthquake proof.

The second tweak has to exercise with being a tightwad. I have hundreds of narrow-mouth mason jars and very few wide-rima oris jars, but using a smaller opening meant I needed an easier mode of mounting starter strips inside the jars.

Considering I am non a woodworker, I started with Mann Lake's wintering inner encompass. The affair I most similar near it is the rim on the bottom (about 1/4-inch deep) which provides bee space under the jar rims. I also like the thickness of the lath. The small archway beneath the board is great for honey collection, but the entrance in a higher place the board must exist blocked. The lath comes with a pre-drilled pigsty in the center for a jar feeder, which I thought would be helpful, simply it is in the wrong place and concluded upwards costing me one jar space.

All the holes are mathematically spaced.

I designed the jar spacing around the pre-drilled center hole and settled on a 4-3-4 pattern. Without the pre-drilled pigsty, 4-4-4 would have been better. I could have fit even more than jars in the super if I had spaced them differently, simply I wanted to maintain the force of the lath. Xi jars—even when they are empty—is quite a load, and so I decided to stop there.

I allow my husband do a bunch of math to find the exact location of each hole. The hole that was pre-drilled is actually slightly besides big. A stonemason jar lid fits into it, but it is loosey-goosey. So I purchased a 2-iii/four″ (70mm) pigsty saw that turned out to be perfect. The lid of a mason jar fits tightly in the hole with no play at all. The jars won't fall out even if I concord the board vertically—something I do not recommend.

I made a paper template then used it as a blueprint to cutting the foundation.

As Morris explains in his newspaper, keeping the jar rims covered with mason rings keeps the threads costless of propolis. The sticky rings can be removed and replaced with clean ones when you lot market place the beloved, and you can re-apply the viscid rings in the hive.

Next, I wanted to put starter strips in the jars. Morris' method works with wide-mouth jars, merely it'southward a flake finicky with the narrow ones. What I did instead was cut two pieces of foundation and then slit each one halfway up the middle. The ii pieces can and so slide into each other to form an "x" (a moving-picture show is worth a thousand words here, so have a expect).

When the foundation is warm you can curve it enough to fit into the jar and then open it up one time it'due south inside. I used a square stick to open up the foundation once it was in the jar.

I have not even so tried this foundation method, nor take I discussed it with the lucky colony that will receive this contraption. I believe it will piece of work. Bees normally attach any bits of foundation firmly in place, and I think they will kickoff this projection by doing only that. It doesn't have to be perfectly square or symmetrical or even. In fact, one of the charming aspects of comb congenital in a jar is the shape of information technology.

If it doesn't work as is, my next footstep will exist to put a drop of molten wax in the middle bottom of the jar, right where the x is, just to hold in information technology place. Some people have succeeded using drinking glass jars with no foundation or starter strips at all, so that is always an option, especially if your bees are properly crowded.

Foundation fit into the jar.

In one case the jars are set, the entire super can be put on the comb honey hive. Many people put a queen excluder nether the super, but I don't call back it is necessary or wise. A queen in her right mind volition not put eggs in the jars. If she's not in her right mind, she may leave a few upward there, but she won't persist. Information technology is hard to get bees to fill odd-shaped spaces, even without an excluder, so I never apply ane.

An empty super is needed to cover the jars, and a telescoping lid is placed over that. Hither are some additional considerations:

—Remember that the jars will go very hot because at that place is no ventilation through them. Information technology is best to place this blazon of super on a hive that is non receiving direct sunlight.

—Do not allow bees into the expanse surrounding the jars. If bees get betwixt the jars, they volition build a mess for y'all to make clean up, and they may decide it is easier to construct comb between the jars rather than in the jars.

—You can use the center hole for a jar feeder, if you wish. Give the bees 1:ane carbohydrate syrup to stimulate wax product only remove it earlier the nectar flow begins.

—A small upper entrance merely beneath the super will assistance in nectar storage since the bees won't have to travel and then far. It will also give the hive a petty extra ventilation.

—When you are ready to remove the super, use a one-way bee escape below the super to remove the bees. Smoke should not be used considering fume odor and/or ash can persist in the jars.

For details on how to manage your bees for glass jar supers, please read "How to manage bees for section dearest."

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

Testing the fit with canned goods.

murillowastumpaboos.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.honeybeesuite.com/comb-honey-in-glass-jars/

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