Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Honey Super Cell now in Black  (Read 7885 times)

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Honey Super Cell now in Black
« on: July 07, 2007, 02:51:29 pm »
For those who haven't seen it yet,  HSC is now avaialble in black.  I just got my first batch this week. Although I was never a fan of Pierco frames,  I did like the black color that makes the eggs stand right out. With the white HSC it is nearly impossible to see eggs until the cell is used a few times.



I must also share my experience dealing with SuperCell.

I placed my order online Wednesday June 25th and specified black.   On Friday June 27th I received an email from Max saying they were temporarily out of stock on the black and expected a new shipment "within a week or so" if I wanted to wait, or they could ship white out.  I responded back the same day saying I could wait the week.  On Sunday June 29th I received an email from DHL stating a shipping label had been printed.  My immediate thought was, why did he bother sending an email if he was going to ship white anyway.   DHL had a estimated delivery date of Friday July 6th.  I come home from work on Thursday and find the box by my garage.  Fully expecting white,  as I opened up my knife to cut the tape,  I could see white thru the clear tape.  I opened the box and to my surprise the white I had seen thru the tape was a piece of paper on top of "black frames" :-D   Anyway, just thought I'd share that both of my orders from SuperCell have been handled extremely fast and it has been a pleasure dealing with them.   After waiting around a year for them to start shipping the product I must admit I was a bit skeptical, but now I would highly recommend them for their great service.

« Last Edit: December 02, 2007, 11:04:22 pm by Robo »
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline DayValleyDahlias

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1629
  • Gender: Female
    • DayValleyDahlia's Blog
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2007, 12:12:27 am »
Are these the ones that are $100. for 20?  I still don't understand them...are they artificially drawn out?

What is your plan for using them???

Thanks a heap!

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2007, 07:19:42 am »
Are these the ones that are $100. for 20?
$109.95 delivered
I still don't understand them...are they artificially drawn out?
They are fully drawn small cell frames.  Instant regression

What is your plan for using them???
Right now I have 2 swarms on them and all my queen rearing nucs.  I am also in the process of doing a trap out from a brick building with them.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline annette

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 5353
  • Gender: Female
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2007, 12:50:23 am »
I would like to know the progress on these frames. They are very expensive and seem so unnatural. I am surprised the bees do not mind placing stuff in cells that are not wax.

But I still would like to know if they work in the long run.

Annette

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2007, 09:06:11 am »
Quote
I would like to know the progress on these frames.


So far things are going well, they are slow to use them when they are brand new, even when sprayed with sugar water. Since I'm starting with all new,  the hives are slow to grow, but seem health. But once they are used,  they re-use them like any other frame.  I have some queen breeding nuc on them that I plan to turn into regular nuc and winter them.  So next Spring I should have 10 or so hives on HSC.  I have had a few new queens that went right to town on them, perhaps because they knew nothing else :?


Quote
They are very expensive and seem so unnatural.
Not really, if you have ever tried to purchase fully drawn wax combs. These will last much longer, are wax moth/mice proof too.

Quote
I am surprised the bees do not mind placing stuff in cells that are not wax.
No different than perma comb,  just smaller cells and bigger frames.

Quote
But I still would like to know if they work in the long run.
Can't answer that yet,  but I can tell you the one cut-out that I did place on them had only about a coffee can full of bees and I saw at least 3 varroa on the bees when I did the removal.  I have seen claims that 1 varroa in the Spring will equate to 300-400 varroa in the Fall, which means this hive should be a goner or close to it by now.  It is going strong with no sign of varroa,  in fact the picture above is from that hive.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline JBird

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 15
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2007, 11:59:23 am »
Just wanted to share my experience with Mr. Hamby and his Hony SuperCell frames over the past year.  I ordered and installed 40 HSC frames last season and found the bees accepted them fine, especially when placed in the core of the brood nest.  I have just ordered another case of HSC, this time the black frames.  I placed the order on Friday, around Noon WST.  Ten minutes later, I had an email from Max containing the DHL tracking number and estimated time of delivery!  I am thrilled with these frames for so many reasons and with Mr. Hamby for his excellent customer service.

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2007, 12:10:37 pm »
I hope you like the black better than I do.   Unlike black Pierco, I find in impossible to see any eggs, until they hatch and then you can see the shine from the food.  The HSC black allows no light thru the walls so it is like looking into a black hole.  The Pierco, which is just black foundation that the bees draw out with white wax, is great for spotting eggs because of the contrast between the white egg and the black foundation and the wax lets light in.

I going back to buying white HSC, although it is hard to see eggs the first time, once there are some cocoons it is not a problem.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline bassman1977

  • "King Bee"
  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1788
  • Gender: Male
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2007, 05:18:52 pm »
I wish I would have known about this earlier.  I start my bees out on pierco, which works well but for some reason they build a lot of burr comb on the frame tops.  I have to get more pierco this week so I am going to get the pop-in pierco for the wood frames.  I rarely see much burr comb building on the wood frames.  I will have to check out the super cell stuff in the future though.  Sounds like a piece of cake to get them started and put them on SC wax down the road.
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(''')_(''')

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2007, 05:26:53 pm »
I was never a Pierco frame fan,  they where too flimsy and I could not hold onto them with the frame grips well enough and ended up dropping a lot of them.  The Pierco sheets in wood frames are much sturdier.  You will like it better.   There is nothing better for spotting eggs and larvae that black Pierco.   I was hoping fir the same from the black HSC,  but was very disappointed.  The fully drawn black lets no light in thru the sideways and it is like looking into a black hole.   I will be going back to the white on my next order of HSC.  Althought the white is no better on the first brood cycle, after it is used once,  the visibility improves tremendously.

The HSC frames are much more sturdier that the Pierco frames and I have no issues holding them with the frame grippers.  Like permacomb,  the HSC has cells right up to the top of the frame, so if your bee space is off above the frames, they will build comb on top as well.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Mici

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1502
  • Gender: Male
  • tougher than rock
    • http://www.carantha.net/carantha_table_of_contents.htm
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2007, 05:33:52 pm »
ummm, i'm sorry to go OT, but what's the name of those other fully drawn SC? and which of two comes in mediums and which in deeps?

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Honey Super Cell now in Black
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2007, 09:17:54 pm »
ummm, i'm sorry to go OT, but what's the name of those other fully drawn SC? and which of two comes in mediums and which in deeps?

Honey Supper Cell is only available in deeps and it is SC.

PermaComb is only available in mediums and it is NOT SC,  but you can dip it in wax to reduce it to SC.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison