This is my first hive, "Langstroth 8 frame-foundationless" from Walter Kelley!
Should I coat the frame guides with beeswax?
I have read "several ways" to place the queen cage; "candy up, candy down and screen up!" What works best for the hive?
Charles
Quote from: rail on April 01, 2011, 10:54:39 AM
This is my first hive, "Langstroth 8 frame-foundationless" from Walter Kelley!
Should I coat the frame guides with beeswax?
I have read "several ways" to place the queen cage; "candy up, candy down and screen up!" What works best for the hive?
Charles
Personally I think that coating with beeswax is overkill. They will build just fine provided that have a good edge (comb guide) and plenty of feed to do so.
Asfar as queen cage placement, its six of one-half dozen of the other. Place it however you want to, just make sure that you remove the cork from the candy end and the screen side is accessible to the nurse bees.
What type of feeder do you recommend?
Charles
Quote from: rail on April 01, 2011, 11:22:05 AM
What type of feeder do you recommend?
Charles
Any of them are good but each has their own strengths and weaknesses. I personally like the boardman entrance feeder this time of year when robbing is that much of an issue. Check out this link:
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/feeder-compare/ (http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/feeder-compare/)
Quote from: rail on April 01, 2011, 10:54:39 AM
Should I coat the frame guides with beeswax?
No, those frames work fine without wax. And the bees will attach wax more firmly than you can. But you may want some drawn comb or even a frame or two of plastic foundation to get them going straight. Then pull out the foundation frames. If you just throw in 8 frames of foundationless and dump in the bees, they may draw cross comb and make a big mess.
>Should I coat the frame guides with beeswax?
I found it to be a bad idea. It's BETTER not to coat them as Frameshift said, the bees will do a better job of attaching if you don't.
>I have read "several ways" to place the queen cage; "candy up, candy down and screen up!" What works best for the hive?
Release the queen and put the cage in the house. A queen cage will mess up the first comb because they will build off of it instead of the comb guide. The messed up first comb will lead to a messed up second and third comb and the mistake will be repeated on ALL eight frames.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm#donthangqueencage (http://www.bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm#donthangqueencage)
Quote from: Michael Bush on April 02, 2011, 06:16:59 AM
>Should I coat the frame guides with beeswax?
I found it to be a bad idea. It's BETTER not to coat them as Frameshift said, the bees will do a better job of attaching if you don't.
>I have read "several ways" to place the queen cage; "candy up, candy down and screen up!" What works best for the hive?
Release the queen and put the cage in the house. A queen cage will mess up the first comb because they will build off of it instead of the comb guide. The messed up first comb will lead to a messed up second and third comb and the mistake will be repeated on ALL eight frames.
Michael,
My hive is the Walter T. Kelley 8 frame-foundationless with "screen bottom!"
I read the Bushfarms attachment; I should remove a few frames and dump the bees into the bottom of the hive (on the screen), let them settle. Remove the cork from the queen cage and lay it on the bottom screen and install the frames?
Charles
>I should remove a few frames and dump the bees into the bottom of the hive (on the screen), let them settle. Remove the cork from the queen cage and lay it on the bottom screen and install the frames?
That sounds fine. Set the frames in and let them settle as the bees move out of the way.
i have walter kelly foundation frames and never waxed them.they work just fine like they are. schawee