Wax or plastic foundation poll

[Rory Fields]

wired foundation in the deeps, unwired in the shallows. The belief that you need to have wired foundation in the shallows if you are mechanically extracting is a myth, many of my shallow frames have unwired thin foundation (why pay extra for the 'normal' stuff) and not one has blown thus far

Just don't think you're being clever by using unwired in deeps like I did - bought a load of it in my last bulk from maisemore and loads of it's collapsed in the hive - do as Emyr says

 

[Mint Bee]

- Do you change out the foundation every couple of years ?

good advice on here (from Murry) was to work out brood frames ever 5 years. he does this mainly for disease prevention purposes IIRC in his operation, but I find most are usually fairly grim by that stage and cells get a build up of residual cocoons. Best done in Spring, when bees have emptied most of their stores. Easily to track by dating frames when waxed. Supers as Dani; unless frames or wax get damaged they last for a lot longer as only usually used for honey storage. Drawing foundation out is energy expensive for the bees. There's no logic in a more frequent change or god forbid the usual recommendation of an annual shock swarm by some

 

[Rory Fields]

good advice on here (from Murry) was to work out brood frames ever 5 years. he does this mainly for disease prevention purposes IIRC in his operation, but I find most are usually fairly grim by that stage and cells get a build up of residual cocoons. Best done in Spring, when bees have emptied most of their stores. Easily to track by dating frames when waxed. Supers as Dani; unless frames or wax get damaged they last for a lot longer as only usually used for honey storage. Drawing foundation out is energy expensive for the bees. There's no logic in a more frequent change or god forbid the usual recommendation of an annual shock swarm by some

I'm (v slowly) reading Manley, 1948 or so, so obviously dated in parts - but he reckons the bees tear down bits where the cells get too narrow, has a real truck with people changing combs unless diseased. I'm planning on using acetic to sterilise my surplus this winter

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

- Do you change out the foundation every couple of years ?

no - that's a mug's game so loved my the beekeeping by numbers brigade - comb in honey supers will last for ages and ages brood comb gets changes when it gets too black and manky and the bees start chewing it off

 

[Rivachaz]

no - that's a mug's game so loved my the beekeeping by numbers brigade - comb in honey supers will last for ages and ages brood comb gets changes when it gets too black and manky and the bees start chewing it off

Ah the brood frames going a bit to black - good advice , it matches up with an old timer that was shocked
at a picture of a frame from a friend
of mine , was almost jt black

 

[Rory Fields]

Its weird, I've some frames in colonies 1yr old, black, and others heavily used in the centre of tge broodnest, still good as new. Bees eh?

 

[jarmo henttu]

Its weird, I've some frames in colonies 1yr old, black, and others heavily used in the centre of tge broodnest, still good as new. Bees eh?

When bees make brood into the cells, they turn black.
There are larva silk inside the the cell from each larva and a black droplet of poo under the silk.

You should move combs so that each com will be used evenly black and the you move the old comb away from the colony.

Swapping two box hive is essential part of nursing that combs will be consumed evenly.

Its not the bees eh? It is the beekeeper who should change his style.

 

[Rory Fields]

When bees make brood into the cells, they turn black.
There are larva silk inside the the cell from each larva and a black droplet of poo under the silk.

You should move combs so that each com will be used evenly black and the you move the old comb away from the colony.

Swapping two box hive is essential part of nursing that combs will be consumed evenly.

Its not the bees eh? It is the beekeeper who should change his style.

You misunderstand, I know all of this. I explained that some of the colonies had constantly used brood frames that looked barely used, whilst other colonies had year old frames that were black. It varied across my 100 colonies, perhaps if id studied it, id gave noticed a correlation between the darker combs and colonies that colkected more propolis, who knows.

 

[jarmo henttu]

You misunderstand, I know all of this. I explained that some of the colonies had constantly used brood frames that looked barely used, whilst other colonies had year old frames that were black. It varied across my 100 colonies, perhaps if id studied it, id gave noticed a correlation between the darker combs and colonies that colkected more propolis, who knows.

I have nursed 60 years bees and the coloration acts like I said. No problem with that.

Who knows... I know.

I have moved dark combs in the the middle of box, when I inspect boxes. When the comb is old enough, and full of brood, I move the darkest up to supers. Bees fill cells with honey, when bees energes.

I did not use excluders. Queen can lay as muvh as it can.

I use 3 langstroth boxes for brood. When the lowest box is cold, bees fill it wilth pollen in July. Otherwise bees store pollen inside honey boxes over the brood area. Bees store pollen in brown combs.

If bees fill the cells with propolis, ventilation is too big in the hive and the box is too cold.

The bees act just like as I want, and when I take away combs from usage, they are evenly black. Perhaps the theory is wrong but it works just as I want. And the old wax cells do not have propolis.

 

[jarmo henttu]

Something in calculations

80% + 17% + 13% + 13% = 123%