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Author Topic: Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding  (Read 2318 times)

Offline Dave360

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Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding
« on: July 08, 2010, 10:17:49 pm »

 i am planning on expanding the number of hives i have from 9 to 20 next season and want to start getting my equipment ready
but have some questions

  1. i ordered plastic foundation from dadant and some from kelly foundation from one was listed as honey foundation i was wanting to know if their was a difference from brood foundation or can i use this will queen lay in it if there is  where can i get medium brood

  2. can i use frames with grooved top and bottom bar frames (already have) glue and nail  in popsicle sticks as suggested by Michael Bush or will bottom grove be a problem

 3. is it best to alternate one frame with foundation and then one foundationless frame

 4. to do a split from deep to a medium do you have to just shake bees and make sort of a package with a queen or cell


 5. on new hives should you feed after flow to get foundation drawn to have at least 1 full box of drawn comb some of my hives only have 5 frames drawn


     Thanks David

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2010, 12:31:17 am »
>  1. i ordered plastic foundation from dadant and some from kelly foundation from one was listed as honey foundation i was wanting to know if their was a difference from brood foundation or can i use this will queen lay in it if there is  where can i get medium brood

If you want small cell size, you need to either get the Mann Lake PF100 series (PF 120s for mediums) or the small cell wax.  "medium brood" is a reference, not to the dimensions of the foundation, but to the thickness of the wax.   Dadant, Brushy mt. ect. all have medium depth small cell foundation as well as medium depth standard size.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm#foundationtoday

>  2. can i use frames with grooved top and bottom bar frames (already have) glue and nail  in popsicle sticks as suggested by Michael Bush or will bottom grove be a problem

The bottom groove is not a "problem" per se, but I prefer to avoid it by buying my frames from Walter T. Kelley with no grooves in the bottom bar.  But I use all the frames I have and about half have a groove in them...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm

> 3. is it best to alternate one frame with foundation and then one foundationless frame

No.  It's best to use all foundationless if you want natural comb, but if you want to put ONE frame with foundation in to establish a straight line, it might be helpful.

> 4. to do a split from deep to a medium do you have to just shake bees and make sort of a package with a queen or cell

Going from one size to another is always a pain.  I either feed mediums into the deep and then cut the comb off the bottom and tie it in when I move it.  Or put the deeps in two mediums with some mediums in there as well and cut some of the comb off the bottom of the deeps... or just do a cutout on the deeps and tie the brood comb into mediums...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#moving

> 5. on new hives should you feed after flow to get foundation drawn to have at least 1 full box of drawn comb some of my hives only have 5 frames drawn

If there is a dearth and you're trying to get comb drawn, you may want to feed.  But keep in mind there are several dowsides to this plan.  Probably the biggest is that in a dearth feeding can easily set off robbing.  Next there is the pH of syrup and the microbes.  This will upset the balance of the hive.  Third there is the issue of nutrition.  Is sugar syrup really as nutritious as nectar?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfeeding.htm
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

Offline Dave360

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Re: Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2010, 11:16:31 pm »

 Michael

 Thanks for the reply i just want to clarify will a queen lay eggs on most any medium foundation i give them not just small cell though i am also planing on using some foundationless  for one it seems like a good way to save not having to buy foundation and natural comb seems like it would make removing queen cells easier

   Thanks Again

Online Michael Bush

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Re: Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding
« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2010, 03:30:36 am »
>i just want to clarify will a queen lay eggs on most any medium foundation i give them not just small cell

Of course.

> though i am also planing on using some foundationless  for one it seems like a good way to save not having to buy foundation and natural comb seems like it would make removing queen cells easier

But why not use foundation that is close to natural cell size?

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

Offline Dave360

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Re: Moving to mediums cell size and foundationless and feeding
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2010, 10:36:49 pm »

Michael

  Thanks for the Replay and your clarification

  also in re reading my post i meant to say to say natural comb would make removal of queen cells to use else where should be easier with natural comb like in hopkins method from your web site

   Thanks again for your posts and info on your site a great resource

     David

 

anything