For those of you who ascribe to the smaller bee thing, I have a question. I have two packages of small cell regressed bees on the way. What do you all recommend I put them on? I have PF100, HSC and can simply use starter strips in the brood chamber to allow the bees to draw out their own natural cells. What should I do? I have the plastic foundation thinking I would need it to regress large cell bees. If the bees are already regressed, why would I need the plastic? Perhaps I should save it for a swarm or for some donated hive of larger cell bees. Thanks for the input
If they are regressed already, why not let them just draw out there own wax. Use the starter strips for the brood nest.
Lucky you.
Annette
i've placed some small cell sheets and some starter strips in with my packages . They seem to be drawing out both more than happily. In 1 week they have already filed 3 and a half frames. I got wired sheets from Brushy Mountain and None wired ( cutting into strips) from Dadant. When i put my second brood box on in a few weeks that will be all starter strips.
If it were me, I would go straight small cell foundation. I'm not too big of a fan with foundationless because it doesn't hold up well in the extractor, even with wire reinforcements.
Bassman: I agree that foundationless would be an issue in an extractor. That said, I will not be using an extractor. All of my harvest is crush and strain. I likely to only have three hives and maybe six at the most this year. An extractor is really not in my immidate future. What are your thoughts for plastic in the brood boxes with foundationless in the honey supers?
That would work for sure. I have done it myself. Just make sure the plastic first. They might tend to want to work the foundationless more than the plastic.
Aged comb in foundationless will hold up much better than expected in an extractor. It is the new, plialbe comb that bends easily that won't hold up. If the comb is more than 4 weeks old and attached fully or in part on all 4 sides it should work fine in an extractor.
Anyway they are doing crush and strain. No extractor.
>What do you all recommend I put them on? I have PF100, HSC and can simply use starter strips in the brood chamber to allow the bees to draw out their own natural cells. What should I do?
They all work fine. No need for the HSC as they are already regressed.
> I have the plastic foundation thinking I would need it to regress large cell bees. If the bees are already regressed, why would I need the plastic?
If they are already regressed you don't need anything but a comb guide of some kind. If you want foundation, PF100s (or PF120s if you want medium) or the wax 4.9mm will work fine.
> Perhaps I should save it for a swarm or for some donated hive of larger cell bees. Thanks for the input
Find someone would buy some anyway and sell it cheap or give it away.