Foundationless dilemma

[colinc]

There quite obviously is no correct way and so much depends on the individual foibles of the colony and their queen, the local climate and available forage.... However, I really appreciate hearing different approaches and choosing my course of action, thankfully based on sound advice. I'm terrified of killing my girls![/QUOTE]

The shorter more intense season just means a larger percentage of crop and potential brood creating energy is put into building comb before they can lay and put down stores. This has a greater impact with a short season. if you end up with a small colony just be ready to feed them and you should be fine. If they stay at altitude insulate them well. I think the idea of giving them foundation to help them build a colony this year then switching to foundationless gradually may be less work and therefore better preparation for overwintering where you are.

 

[Anduril]

I think what bothered my mentor is the fact that our season is very short up here. By autumn it may be too late to balance out any anomalies. It's unpredictable. We can have summers that last until the end of September, or ones that come to a close with a big bang thunderstorm in the middle of August.
As usual, many ways to look at it and thank you so much for your input and experience. What I'll probably do is make a gradual switch to foundationless, rather than trying to do it all this year in my first year and the bees'. I personally think that bees are perfectly capable of creating what they need, but I don't want to alienated my mentor as I'm really relying on him. I don't want him to think that I feel I know better than him.
There quite obviously is no correct way and so much depends on the individual foibles of the colony and their queen, the local climate and available forage.... However, I really appreciate hearing different approaches and choosing my course of action, thankfully based on sound advice. I'm terrified of killing my girls!

9 times out of 10 you will find your mentor has probably dabbled with foundationless frames and found with the short season it is better to use foundation because it will be drawn quicker, it produces a faster build up of the colony and they consume less stores and nectar to make the comb. Think in terms of around 7 pounds of honey to make 1 pound of wax. If you have a strong flow they should build up nicely, get it wrong and there is insufficient comb for overwintering they will starve. It happens even with beekeepers using 100% foundation.

 

[Leila]

I think the idea of giving them foundation to help them build a colony this year then switching to foundationless gradually may be less work and therefore better preparation for overwintering where you are.

9 times out of 10 you will find your mentor has probably dabbled with foundationless frames and found with the short season it is better to use foundation because it will be drawn quicker, it produces a faster build up of the colony and they consume less stores and nectar to make the comb. Think in terms of around 7 pounds of honey to make 1 pound of wax. If you have a strong flow they should build up nicely, get it wrong and there is insufficient comb for overwintering they will starve. It happens even with beekeepers using 100% foundation.

Looks like I'm sorted

 

[Eyeman]

To avoid foundationless frames looking like this I:
1. Get them drawn by swarms- all bait hives have starter strips.
2. Get them drawn in 3 frame mating nucs
3. Get them drawn later in the season

There is no reason to just accept frames clogged with drone cells in the brood chamber.
I've heard but not tried:
1. If your happy moving brood between colonies then put a few frames with drone brood into the colony you want to draw your starter strips. They will then feel they have have enough drone's and will draw worker comb!