I put one frame in without foundation, funny it was the first frame they went to. wonder if that tells me something.??
Anyway it started from the bottom up, i was so taken by this I decided to post a picture, doh!! but the next day bees had finished it to the top, thought it odd that they went bottom up, not top down. Oh well you'll hve to take my word for it. Darn bees just to fast for an old slow guy. LOL
(http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b37/bettafan/DSCF1398.jpg)
looks like a great frame.
See you got the smoke out LOL :fishhit:
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
OH Ya ,, :-D
I had read here before that the bees sometimes start from the bottom up. In my case, they always start from the top down.
Funny bees
Isn't it amazing & wonderful!??? I just looked at a few frames in a similar condition in a super & I'm so grateful for these little beings!
YEAH! GO FLYGIRLS!!!....FG
(& you too MBN's.. :) )
Giving them a top guide will help them start at the top instead of the bottom.
I used wax starter strips, and the bees pulled them straight down throughout the super. I think when I convert the brood boxes next spring, however, I will put a frame or two of pf-125 in there as a ladder per Mr. Bush's recommendations.
I found that when they started at the bottom with a flow, they started storing honey before it was attached to the top. When it got hot, the weight of the honey caused the comb to flop over across 2 or 3 other frames. What a mess! Now I make sure I move at least one drawn frame up to the top so they work top down.
That is interesting how they started from the bottom, I recently tried foundationless and they all started from the top and built a natural comb shape but none of them have connected them to the bottom. They seem to be finished as they filled them with capped brood and went to another frame. Kind of off the topic, but I also have noticed that with using every other frame drawn out they will draw out a small portion of the foundationless and cap mostly drone brood in this area. Seems that they prefer to put drone brood and supercedure cells in a frame that they have drawn out. Just curious, has anyone else that has went foundationless noticed this pattern?
dhood,
All I notice is that beesuit, man that thing is clean and bright!
Quote from: dhood on August 12, 2008, 11:48:31 PM
I also have noticed that with using every other frame drawn out they will draw out a small portion of the foundationless and cap mostly drone brood in this area. Seems that they prefer to put drone brood and supercedure cells in a frame that they have drawn out.
I have noticed that when I try it with every other frame drawn (odds drawn, evens not would be another way to say it?), the foundationless frames placed between the drawn frames will be predominantly drone size. If just one or a few drawn frames are in the box and multiple foundationless frames are placed adjacent to each other the bees will do a much better job of drawing out worker sized comb.