? about cell size & mixing

[Flygirl]

Hi everyone ~

I need some help & ideas regarding cell size.  I purchased 2 hives complete with the small cell comb in the frames.  I need to order more frames & foundation but lots of books & the catalogs say that only experienced bee keepers should use the small cell? 

Any thoughts on this?  I'd like to go organic & I think the small size is more disease resistant, correct?

Can I mix the small cell with frames that have the larger/standard size cells?  Will make my bees crazy, mad, fly away or build mixed cell comb?  :) 

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated...

Flygirl ~  I like things that fly!  Like bees :)

[rdy-b]

leave the frames in the center or core of the brood nest small cell (5)- place large cell on the outside -bees will do the rest -feral comb is never one size-bees need different size comb for different reasons -and different conditions  RDY-B

[Moonshae]

or just use starter strips and let the bees make what they want.

[Michael Bush]

>I need to order more frames & foundation but lots of books & the catalogs say that only experienced bee keepers should use the small cell? 

For reasons that I can only speculate on...

>Any thoughts on this?  I'd like to go organic & I think the small size is more disease resistant, correct?

In my exprience, yes.

>Can I mix the small cell with frames that have the larger/standard size cells?

You can. The object should be to work the larger out eventually.

>  Will make my bees crazy, mad, fly away or build mixed cell comb?

No. Itwill not make them crazy, mad or fly away.  Bees always build a mixture of cell sizes if you let them.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm

Try to get the smallest in the core of the brood nest and try to work the rest to the outside and then out of the hive.

[Flygirl]

Thanks Michael!  I need to check out your site & get to ordering supplies!  FG

[Jerrymac]

Stick with the small cell, or go to starter strips, or foundationless