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Author Topic: Today I started a new hive on foundationless frames, what about the honey supers  (Read 1766 times)

Offline harvey

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I am trying a hive foundationless.  What about the honey supers though?   Could I still use dadent plasticell in the supers?  How about if I used plasticell that was already drawn out?   

Offline Kathyp

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you can use whatever you want.  i do foundationless in my honey supers.  it makes great cut comb.  it will extract fine if it's attached all the way around and that's not a problem with shallows.  most of the shallow frames i have in now are draw from last year.  i'll put on some empty frames later in the year for the buckwheat cut comb.  do what works for you and your extraction plans.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Michael Bush

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Ask Kathyp says it's up to you.  I'd go foundationless everywhere.  It also depends on your use of an excluder and how important it is to you to keep the queen from laying in large cells...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline luvin honey

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I'm topbar, but I think the message is the same. I don't exclude queens, have foundationless through. If I can catch a beautiful sheet of pure honeycomb, I do. If it's already been brood, then I crush and strain.
The pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.
---Emily Dickinson

Offline harvey

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Well i am looking to be able to use an extractor, it is an old hand crank so I don't have to go super fast.  I have never used an extruder even though I did buy one.  works for cooking hamburgers over charcoal!  I would prefer to keep the bees on natural cell in regards to reproduction to see how that helps with the mites!  Now is natural cell going to be as small as small cell?   better or worse?

Offline Michael Bush

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>Well i am looking to be able to use an extractor, it is an old hand crank so I don't have to go super fast.

Just start slow and end fast...

> I have never used an extruder even though I did buy one.  works for cooking hamburgers over charcoal!

One good use for them...

> I would prefer to keep the bees on natural cell in regards to reproduction to see how that helps with the mites!  Now is natural cell going to be as small as small cell?

It will vary more in size.  For worker cells in the brood nest it will probably run from 5.2mm to 4.8mm in the core of the brood nest.

>   better or worse?

The bees think it's better... :)  I tend to go with them...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin