I found my new queen yesterday and larvae are in the cells. :) Most of the old comb from the cutout is honey bound. :( So I inserted the new foundation h h f b f b f h f h and moved a couple frame of H to a top deep and put in some more Frames there. I also put on a new screened bottom board and reduced my entrance to 1 inch by 3/4 due to the small size of this colony. I fed for one full week and stopped yesterday. Two questions:
1. What is a minimum size for an entrance with a screened bottom?
2. When you all talk about drawing out new comb on new Mann Lake 105, what is that time frame for drawing 1/2 frame, whole frame, etc? I don't plan on opening again for several weeks so they can build up. New bees should hatch in two weeks. I smoked them yesterday for the first time and they did not like it, nor did I -- got stung for it!
Thanks for all the great info I have gotten, if only there was a forum of this caliber for everything.
Entrance size with a SSB is what ever they can guard, pretty much, you just don't want a bunch of bees bunching up at the entrance trying to get in and out. I've seen an 1-1 1/2 work quite well a couple of times. Just helped a hive stop being robbed last week by reducing the entrance down to 1". It is a full deep and 3 filled in a medium and no problem right now @ 1 1/2". Top cover is ventilated also.
The Mann Lake thing I know nothing about.
I don't like smoke blown in my face either. :) I would probably slap you seeing as how I cant sting you. (Mohammed Ali, I am not :-D)