Drawing out starter strips

[JamezF]

I've never tried on this scale before so I'm not sure what to expect and it occurs to me that it could go horribly wrong. A bit of reassurance from those who have done it or have found what seem to be more reliable methods would be most welcome.

If I give a colony an entire brood box of fresh comb, alternating between full sheets of foundation and starter strips, are they likely to draw it out straight? I'd like to think so, but I have a niggly-naggly little doubt that they might begin by drawing out one of the starter strips, perhaps misalign it with the frame and then mess up every other frame to keep them in line with each other. Would it perhaps be better to have them draw out the starter strips between existing drawn frames?

Thanks,
James

 

[SumpNut]

Mine occasionally have built them slightly lopsided if alternated with foundation. I have had more reliable results with starter strips in-between drawn combs

 

[Boston Bees]

I've never tried on this scale before so I'm not sure what to expect and it occurs to me that it could go horribly wrong. A bit of reassurance from those who have done it or have found what seem to be more reliable methods would be most welcome.

If I give a colony an entire brood box of fresh comb, alternating between full sheets of foundation and starter strips, are they likely to draw it out straight? I'd like to think so, but I have a niggly-naggly little doubt that they might begin by drawing out one of the starter strips, perhaps misalign it with the frame and then mess up every other frame to keep them in line with each other. Would it perhaps be better to have them draw out the starter strips between existing drawn frames?

Thanks,
James

Are you talking about adding this on top of an existing brood box (or indeed, underneath it)? And that the queen will have access to both boxes?

If so, move 2+ frames of brood into the new box, and they will draw it out much faster (and straighter)

 

[JamezF]

Adding it to the top of an existing brood box, yes. Or perhaps the bottom. Haven't entirely thought that one through yet -- a couple of showery days have pushed my next visit back, though I think given that the bees would naturally want to extend the brood downwards, adding at the bottom might be a better choice. Or perhaps they just won't care

They're on double brood at the moment, though really only using the top box right now, so I want to take the opportunity to replace the aging comb in the bottom box before they get started on it.

James

 

[blackcloud]

I've found they prefer foundationless over foundation so they draw the empty timberware first.
If it's brood they're doing it for its not such a problem as the cell depth is more controlled but if it's for stores then it's open season and the new comb can widen to encroach into the space reserved for the foundation in the next frame that they've been ignoring.
[url=https://postimg.cc/rznVpXbQ] [/URL]

I got impatient with this lot and put a foundationless next to another partially drawn one.
You can see the outline of its lobes.The comb at the right is a few inches deep.
The two frames become difficult to relocate in the future and have to be butchered.
I would alternate between decent fully drawn combs first.

 

[Boston Bees]

Adding it to the top of an existing brood box, yes. Or perhaps the bottom. Haven't entirely thought that one through yet

I would move half your existing frames into the new box, and add foundation and foundationless to fill out both boxes.

Exactly how you do this depends on what is in your current frames. Brood should of course be kept together, in the middle, in a block. Foundation and foundationless next to the brood. Partly capped (or not capped) stores frames can be put away from the brood nest. Foundationless frame against each side wall (they can be reluctant to draw foundation against a hive wall) (Fully capped stores frames can be removed of course)

So I would go from

HHBBBBBBBHH

to

LHFLBBBBFHL
LHFLBBBLFHL

(B is brood, H is stores, F is foundation, L is foundationless)

or something like that

 

[JamezF]

Thanks. I shall give that a go. Tomorrow, hopefully, if the weather is pleasant enough.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

Adding it to the top of an existing brood box, yes. Or perhaps the bottom. Haven't entirely thought that one through yet -- a couple of showery days have pushed my next visit back, though I think given that the bees would naturally want to extend the brood downwards, adding at the bottom might be a better choice. Or perhaps they just won't care

They're on double brood at the moment, though really only using the top box right now, so I want to take the opportunity to replace the aging comb in the bottom box before they get started on it.

James

Were they on double brood through the winter James?

 

[JamezF]

Were they on double brood through the winter James?

Yes, I leave them on double brood all the time as for me it means there's rarely any need to feed them going into winter.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

Yes, I leave them on double brood all the time as for me it means there's rarely any need to feed them going into winter.

James

That's interesting, we have ours on a brood and a half but have bought extra brood boxes in case they need more space, difficult to decide when or if they need a double, and we are on the back foot as we don't have drawn frames only the ones that they are in now.

 

[JamezF]

I wasn't keen on brood and a half because of the mixture of frame sizes, but actually I'm coming to think that maybe double brood is a bit excessive for this location. I'm toying with the idea of keeping the double brood boxes, but using thick insulating dummy boards to take them down to nine or ten frames per box. Nine frames I think brings the total brood area to about the same as brood and a half, but obviously without the mixed frame sizes.

James