Hi everyone ~
I need some help & ideas regarding cell size. I purchased 2 hives complete with the small cell comb in the frames. I need to order more frames & foundation but lots of books & the catalogs say that only experienced bee keepers should use the small cell?
Any thoughts on this? I'd like to go organic & I think the small size is more disease resistant, correct?
Can I mix the small cell with frames that have the larger/standard size cells? Will make my bees crazy, mad, fly away or build mixed cell comb? :)
Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated...
Flygirl ~ I like things that fly! Like bees :)
leave the frames in the center or core of the brood nest small cell (5)- place large cell on the outside -bees will do the rest -feral comb is never one size-bees need different size comb for different reasons -and different conditions RDY-B
or just use starter strips and let the bees make what they want.
>I need to order more frames & foundation but lots of books & the catalogs say that only experienced bee keepers should use the small cell?
For reasons that I can only speculate on...
>Any thoughts on this? I'd like to go organic & I think the small size is more disease resistant, correct?
In my exprience, yes.
>Can I mix the small cell with frames that have the larger/standard size cells?
You can. The object should be to work the larger out eventually.
> Will make my bees crazy, mad, fly away or build mixed cell comb?
No. Itwill not make them crazy, mad or fly away. Bees always build a mixture of cell sizes if you let them.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm
Try to get the smallest in the core of the brood nest and try to work the rest to the outside and then out of the hive.
Thanks Michael! I need to check out your site & get to ordering supplies! FG
Stick with the small cell, or go to starter strips, or foundationless