Drone base in supers

[MrB]

Does anyone here use drone base foundation in the supers?
assuming you can keep the Queen out are there any problems with doing this?
can you mix drone base with worker base?

Many thanks for you views

 

[MandF]

We don't do it, but it has been done down our association apiary, and it was mixed amongst other worker foundation. The obvious advantage is you get more honey for the wax used, and the only disadvantages I can think of is it costs more and there is a lack of flexibility should you want to be able to use it as a brood frame (in a brood & half).

 

[sherwood]

I do this with great success. Ignore the comment about flexibility of this for brood and a half as anyone wanting to run brood and a half in my opinion is asking for more work. It is however more of a handicap using this for cut comb as yes you use less wax but you tend to have less flexibility about cutting the comb.
Alan

 

[MandF]

I do this with great success. Ignore the comment about flexibility of this for brood and a half as anyone wanting to run brood and a half in my opinion is asking for more work. It is however more of a handicap using this for cut comb as yes you use less wax but you tend to have less flexibility about cutting the comb.
Alan

Surely, whether using brood & half is asking for more work or not, it may be that he wants to do that, or may want to.. the fact remains you cannot freely swap that frame into a brood chamber (even as a drone sacrifice in a deep), and that is a disadvantage as far as I can see!

 

[m100]

I produced a couple of pieces of cut comb from wired foundation last autumn by pulling the wire out on the reverse side (they were not for sale in case Trading Standards etc are listening) I intended replacing the foundation but forgot, and so when that super was pressed into service a cuople of months ago it had nine frames of normal sized foundation and one with barely a starter strip. The wire reinforcement was just dangling in mid air in the bee space between frames.

Since then the bees have pulled a near perfect frame - of drone sized comb.

But I already expected that, I use mainly drone foundation and would only ever replace with drone foundation in the future.

I have a small number of SN5 frames with normal foundation on the odd chance I might get a very late flow from the balsam and want to leave the super on the hive over the winter - not that I'd ever intentionally use or recommend brood and a half. Double brood or 14x12 are far better options.

 

[colin]

Hi, we use both drone and worker foundation in our supers.
Drone combs extract a lot quicker than worker combs.

 

[moby]

We don't do it, but it has been done down our association apiary, and it was mixed amongst other worker foundation. The obvious advantage is you get more honey for the wax used, and the only disadvantages I can think of is it costs more and there is a lack of flexibility should you want to be able to use it as a brood frame (in a brood & half).

Using larger spacers in the supers and reducing to 8/9 frames the bees draw the comb out really deep you get more honey less less uncapping and less frames to extract

 

[Crg]

Hi, we use both drone and worker foundation in our supers.
Drone combs extract a lot quicker than worker combs.

A lot quicker and easier.

 

[tonybloke]

Surely, whether using brood & half is asking for more work or not, it may be that he wants to do that, or may want to.. the fact remains you cannot freely swap that frame into a brood chamber (even as a drone sacrifice in a deep), and that is a disadvantage as far as I can see!

erm, ain't you going off track?
the original post was about using drone base in supers, not anything else!

the 'brood and a half' issue is for another thread.

 

[MandF]

erm, ain't you going off track?
the original post was about using drone base in supers, not anything else!

the 'brood and a half' issue is for another thread.

It was a tenuous attempt at finding a disadvantage of using drone foundation, thats all. But as you raise it again, many people refer to the half of a brood and a half as a 'super', not a 'shallow'. I really cant see why people are getting all titsy over 1 sentence!

 

[MrB]

Thanks for all your views
i needed some more super frames PDQ and only had access to drone base.
Think i will give it a try!

 

[crazy_bull]

I will try drone base next year on the OSR as apparently (according to someone who should know) even if the honey has gone a little crystaline it will spin out of the comb alot easier than the smaller worker comb. I suffered alot with the warm days then cold nights this year and the never ending OSR flowering so had alot of partially set combs.

 

[MrB]

I will try drone base next year on the OSR as apparently (according to someone who should know) even if the honey has gone a little crystaline it will spin out of the comb alot easier than the smaller worker comb.

good tip, will remember that for the next OSR season!