My never ending questions re: small cell

[DayValleyDahlias]

I was reading about small cell foundation that Dadant carries...it comes without a frame?


How do I put it in a frames???

What kind of frames do I order for this foundation?


 It is all bees wax and I am guessing that is why there is wire...how does this stuff hold up in an extractor?

Is this the stuff one uses for crush and stain?

[Moonshae]

It's the same as regular foundation...you just put it in the frames the way you would any other. The cells are just smaller. If you have plastic foundation and frames, you'll need wooden frames for any kind of wax foundation, though.

[DayValleyDahlias]

Oh I have never put foundation into a frame...is it tricky?

[Moonshae]

Nope, very simple. Set it in place, put the wedge in, and nail firmly!

[Michael Bush]

If you want to buy unwired and wire it yourself:
http://www.beesource.com/eob/wire_embedder/index.htm

If you just want to do starter strips:
http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-use-wax-tube-fastener_26.html

If you want to buy deeps and cut them in half for mediums they would look something like this:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Foundation49.jpg

[steveouk]

My NUCS are coming with 5.4mm foundation. I was thinking of adding these to a normal deep hive body and then placing a sheet of Small Cell foundation on either side of the Frames and then Starter strips for the rest. I was then thinking that next year i would remove these frames (Some how) and replacing them with frames with small cell... or could i do this sooner ???


My bee packages i'm just going straight to Small cell but i'm not to sure as to what to do about the NUCS

Regards
Stephen

[Michael Bush]

>or could i do this sooner

I'd go with the bees.  keep putting the small cell in the middle of the brood nest as the bees can fill that space easily and moving the large cell to the outside edges.  Eventually it will get filled with honey and you can harvest it or next spring it may be empty and you can pull it.  Or you can move the small cell brood up a box and put an excluder between and after the brood emerges from the large cell pull it.

[steveouk]

Thanks for the advise as always micheal
Thats the total opposite of what i was thinking but makes sense