Now I think that Finsky's post has brought up a question in my mind.
What is more work for the bees. Building new comb on foundation or repairing the damaged drawn frame?
It would seem to me that it would actually be more work to repair a wrecked up drawn frame than for the bees to build new comb on fresh new foundation.
If such is the case, perhaps adding new foundation every couple of years would be prudent and worth some thought. Awesome day. Cindi
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If you se coffee grain looking stuff on the bottom board, bees are breaking their old combs and rebuild them.
I think that it is vain work for bees.
Turning of boxes makes it possible that whole surface of combs will get old at same time.
About the only time it's more work to repair is if it's full of wax moth webs. It is a lot of work for them to remove the webs. I've watched them. It's very little work to repair cracks or other physical damage to the comb.
In my hives wax moth is not problem.They are rare. But long winter makes that often unoccupied combs in periferia are spoiled by mold and bees had to bite in pieces old comb walls and make new cells. But bees are able to do this when they have warm enough in periferia and nectar flow is good. During spring checking I take spoiled combs off.
If I put on edges brown combs they will get mold easily. New white combs go fine over winter.
If new comb is grey because of mold I often scab spoiled wax away during in weather.
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But however often I think, to play with some dirty combs is not worth of doing. It is better to destoy comb and give new foundation. I should renew every year about 300 - 400 frames with foundations and to play with some frames saves nothing.
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Sounds like this is a personal preference, replacing with clean frames/foundation versus old dark frames. I would think that in the brood chamber not too much of an issue, but the supers, I would think that fresh clean frames would make nicer space for honey storage. Probably more space in the cell for honey too, as low levels of cocoon residue. Awesome day. Cindi