What Is Burr Comb? (And How to Handle It)

Burr comb is the comb that honeybees build when they have more than what is called beespace in their hive. Beespace is the distance frames are meant to sit one from another. Researchers have found that bees will build comb in areas larger than this amount of space in other words, burr comb is the comb that’s not supposed to be in the hive. Bees build burr comb on top of frames. Sometimes they will build it crosswise between two frames. And they often build it on the top of lids.

They can store honey in it, or at times and in bad cases, the queen may even lay eggs in it.

How to remove burr comb

When you see burr comb (any comb not on the frame as it should be) it should be removed. If it’s just a bit of honey, you can enjoy this treat yourself (beeswax is safe to ingest) or leave it on top of a hive or empty box for the bees to eat themselves.

If there are eggs or brood, this gets more complicated. Cut it free at the top where it is attached. Then insert it in a frame with no foundation. Take two or three large rubber bands and place them vertically on the frame to hold the new comb in place. This will allow the bees to finish raising the young brood.

How to prevent burr comb

Never leave empty space in a beehive. The bees will draw comb in the empty space, creating a burr comb mess. Burr comb makes it much harder to work a hive, so it’s best to prevent it in the first place.