Installed my new pkg on PF120's. Felt I needed some foundation on a pkg install. Wanted to give them a head start.
Pros: Foundation already built in.
They are already wax coated.
The bees took to them with no problem. (Might have been the sugar water I sprayed the frames with. Don't know)
They are drawing them really fast. (Might be because I am feeding and our flow is on. Don't know for sure.)
Cons: The only real con I have found with them are the slots around what would be the top bar and the frames sides. When you close the frames up in the hive bees can become trapped in the slots and can't get out. When you close them up you will hear the trapped buzzing louder so you open them up to let that one our and then another one will get trapped when you close them up again. You don't have that problem with solid bars.
The other problem with the slots is they are a good hiding place for SHB. In one of my pictures I thought I saw what might have been some in the top bar. I will have to check when I go back in next week.
(http://s8.postimg.org/k2ozks1fl/1_DSC_0303_004.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/k2ozks1fl/)
If anyone has a way to close up the slots, please let me know. It needs to be something the bees will leave alone.
I will be going foundationless so I guess in the long run it really doesn't matter.
Thanks
David
I have heard of the problems with SHB with those before. Go get a few tubes of caulk and fill in the holes.
If you can get liquids nails very sticky and gets real hard Good luck Tony
The bees likely will propolize the slots.
Hey Ken,
Don't think they will. The slots are about a bee space wide. But I could be wrong. I need to measure.
I rarely see a bee trapped in those slots if ever. Possibly I don't notice but it is not much of a problem. Except when shaved so 11 frames go in a box there is always a little space between them anyway.
I've never had a problem with the slots...
bees will fix them I have used them for years