The shape of Foundation

[Beefriendly]

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/37044-secrets-of-bee-honeycombs-revealed
“...........................”

That's the one. Well spotted. The reference for it is
http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/10/86/20130299

And the interesting picture is this one, a new cell (round) and then 48 hours later (hexagon).

 

[For want of a better word]

OK clever clogs.... explain why bees draw the cells with the pointy down?

Meur ras

 

[SDM]

OK clever clogs.... explain why bees draw the cells with the pointy down?

Meur ras

So that when the larvae is smaller it takes less rj to float it.

 

[Murox]

Is there any point/advantage in giving pre hex stamped foundation ?

 

[Beefriendly]

So that when the larvae is smaller it takes less rj to float it.

Not surprising to see from your" quoting hoppy" that he is still trolling me. Even though I don't read his posts any more.
He really takes brain dead to its lowest level.

 

[Beefriendly]

Is there any point/advantage in giving pre hex stamped foundation ?

Only in that it determines the size of the cell the bees will make as worker or drone depending on foundation used. I suspect it would make little difference if they were small circles stamped out.
IIRC CC Miller (50 Years with bees) used plain unstamped sheets of beeswax for his foundation.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Observations made during the study indicated a preference by the
bees to use thin non-embossed wax sheets to make new combs rather than thick non-embossed wax sheets or embossed foundation. Cells built on combs from non-embossed wax sheets were, however, irregularly arranged as compared to the regular, orderly arrangement of cells on combs
developed from the embossed foundation.

http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/media/2948/low-cost-foundation-_21_.pdf

 

[SDM]

Not surprising to see from your" quoting hoppy" that he is still trolling me. Even though I don't read his posts any more.
He really takes brain dead to its lowest level.

You've lost me there. I wasnt quoting anyone to my knowledge, but given how efficient honeybees are( hex shape for minimum material maximum strength etc)i was going to put a question mark after my comment but it seemed like the obvious reason .
Ahh im being a bit slow, you only see his posts if someone quotes him Doh !

 

[birdsandbees]

an interesting discussion.

I am still struggling to understand how cells at the egde of comb still have the hexagonal shape if the shape is created by tension between neighbouring cells?

surely they would be distorted by such tension with only those egdes that meet having the flattened side wall and the circular no adjoined sides being pulled inward?

A cylindrical queen cell makes sense as it has to adjoining cells.

 

[Hivemaker.]

You've lost me there. I wasnt quoting anyone to my knowledge

He is talking about your post number 23, where you quoted, cheers.

 

[SDM]

He is talking about your post number 23, where you quoted, cheers.

Yeah im awake now. I thought he meant my answer was quoting cheers/hoppy.

 

[Beefriendly]

You've lost me there. I wasnt quoting anyone to my knowledge,
Ahh im being a bit slow, you only see his posts if someone quotes him Doh !

Yes, post 23.
I have him on ignore so can only see his posts when someone else quotes him.
Judging by the lack of replies with quotes to his many and frequent posts I can only assume I'm not the only one

 

[For want of a better word]

Not surprising to see from your" quoting hoppy" that he is still trolling me. Even though I don't read his posts any more.
He really takes brain dead to its lowest level.

BF must be coming up for another BAN... seems to be trolling for fights with everyone lately!

Yeghes da

 

[Murox]

...................
IIRC CC Miller (50 Years with bees) used plain unstamped sheets of beeswax for his foundation.

Was not aware of that - interesting.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Think I read somewhere that newspaper painted with wax was widely used as foundation once upon a time.

 

[Eyeman]

Observations made during the study indicated a preference by the
bees to use thin non-embossed wax sheets to make new combs rather than thick non-embossed wax sheets or embossed foundation. Cells built on combs from non-embossed wax sheets were, however, irregularly arranged as compared to the regular, orderly arrangement of cells on combs
developed from the embossed foundation.
http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/me...ation-_21_.pdf
http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/media/2948/low-cost-foundation-_21_.pdf

My bees have a preference for drawing natural comb from a starter strip rather than from a wax foundation sheet.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Ours have a preference for the foundation we make for them.

 

[Finman]

.
I use foundations like I have used 55 years. No need to try something else.
I know that bees can do their own combs. I have seen them enough.

Price of foundations is 2.50 €/kg from own wax. The weigh of foundation is 100g, and it has building wax quite much to make cell walls.

 

[Finman]

My bees have a preference for drawing natural comb from a starter strip rather than from a wax foundation sheet.

Really expencive way to get new combs.

 

[Poly Hive]

Do you cast it or mill it Hivemaker?

When I had the mould I used to cast and of course it was considerably thicker than bought in milled foundation.

After the bees had drawn it into comb I can't say the midrib was that much thicker than from commercial stuff.

PH