From the founders
We get it. Telling someone to leave brood behind feels wrong.
When we first started recommending fresh-comb transfers, the pushback was immediate: "You want me to abandon baby bees? That seems wasteful. Cruel, even."
It took us years of watching colony outcomes—and digging into the research—to understand why the counterintuitive advice actually makes sense.
Old comb isn't just old. It's a filter that's absorbed every pesticide your bees encountered, every mite treatment you applied, every heavy metal in your environment. Cells shrink by up to 40%. Bees raised in them are smaller, weaker, shorter-lived.
A fresh start isn't abandonment. It's giving your colony a clean foundation to build on.
This month's deep dive covers what the research actually shows—and why the "loss" pays dividends.
— The Primal Bee Team
The case for leaving old comb behind
Every beekeeper who's transferred a colony has faced this moment: frames full of capped brood, and advice telling you to leave them behind.
It feels wrong. All those developing bees. All that investment.
Here's what the research shows about why it might be the best decision you make:
Old comb accumulates everything your bees encounter. A landmark study found an average of 6-7 pesticides in typical wax samples - some contained nearly 40. Heavy metal concentrations climb 50-80% over five years, and mite treatments can persist for decades after products are banned.
Cells physically shrink with each generation. Cocoon silk and waste material build up, reducing available space by up to 40%. Smaller cells produce smaller bees with shorter lifespans and reduced foraging capacity. The limitations compound across generations.
Colony performance drops measurably. Studies comparing comb age found 35% less brood in four-year-old comb versus fresh. Workers lived 20% shorter lives. Honey storage dropped by nearly half.
The brood break is a bonus. When you shake adults onto new foundation without transferring brood, you interrupt the Varroa reproductive cycle. Treatments during broodless periods hit 95%+ effectiveness versus 25-35% with brood present.
The expert consensus has converged: rotate brood comb every 3-5 years. The UK National Bee Unit, University of Minnesota, and Australian guidelines all recommend regular replacement.
The "loss" of a few weeks of brood buys you healthier bees, better Varroa control, and improved production for years to come.
🐝 Long before cities, nature mastered adaptive infrastructure.
🧠 Beeple know their neighbors — floral and otherwise.
⚖️ Stingless bees are now legally protected as rights-bearing beings in parts of the Amazon.
🐝 Come see us this week!
Stop by for show discounts, meet the team, and a few surprises we're not quite ready to announce yet:
ABF Conference — January 6-10 | Booth #33
NAHBE Conference — January 8-10 | Booth #500
Until next time
Transfer season is coming.
Whether you're moving colonies into new equipment, combining weak hives, or just thinking about next year's management plan - the question of what to do with old comb will come up.
We hope this issue gave you the research to make that decision with confidence instead of guilt.
Questions about transfers? Hit reply. We read everything.
Until next time,
The Primal Bee Team 🐝