What are your experiences with HSC? Specifically, related to regression with the goal of converting to small cell throughout the apiary.
Please comment only if you have actual experience or first hand information (not trying to be rude or disrespectful in any way, just want to keep this thread as specific as possible). Thanks in advance
P.S. Ross, my public apology for the rude response to your post. I'm sure that in Texas, you have very different bee issues than VA. I typed before I used the old thinker on my shoulders. :oops:
I put 2 swarms onto HSC about 2 weeks ago. After reading all the issues with getting it accepted, I decided my best bet was to force them. I sprayed them with sugar water and a touch of lemongrass oil. I put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the brood chamber on one of them that was quite large to prevent them from absconding until the queen started to lay.
I checked on them yesterday, and both queens seem to be laying just fine and one has some scattered capped brood. It is very difficult to see the eggs in the new white frames, but it appears that they are both laying quite uniform. They are also packing them up with pollen and nectar.
So far so good. But a couple more weeks will tell for sure. I'm hoping once the frames are used, they will be acceptable to establish colonies.
>What are your experiences with HSC? Specifically, related to regression with the goal of converting to small cell throughout the apiary.
I put them on HSC by adding it to a hive and removing all other empty combs. They hesitated a little, but the queen started using it and they did fine. I've also put a package on it. They also hesitated a bit at first, but then started using it. Once they start using it, it's just drawn comb to them.
It's instant regression. :)