Honey supers and small cell

[tillie]

I have a huge supply of thin surplus from last year.  I'm regressing my bees to small cell. 

Should it matter if I use large cell thin surplus in the honey supers?  They will continue to have me feeding in small cell or SC starter strip frames into the brood box, but I think it shouldn't matter about the honey supers.

I also have natural "starter strips" in my crush and strain frames from last year and plan to use those as well, but with the tulip poplar flow starting probably next week, I'd like to have the bees make me some more chunk honey with the thin surplus so that they don't have to build comb while the flow is starting.

Thoughts?

Linda T in Atlanta

[Understudy]

You can use the large cell for the honey supers.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[Michael Bush]

>Should it matter if I use large cell thin surplus in the honey supers?

I'd rather use 7/11 and no excluder than large cell.  But if you can keep the queen out of it, it probably won't hurt.

[tillie]

Since I'm trying to get the small cell to work, I'll use the thin surplus in my hive from last year that is growing stronger but not working on regression yet. 

I own two excluders that so far have only gathered dust and that I plan to donate to the bee club at the September auction....although they may not sell even there - last year there were about 30 excluders at the auction and they practically gave them away.

I'll give the bees in my new hives, who are in the regression process, the frames from last year that I cut the comb out of, leaving remnants for the to use as guides for making their own comb.  After making a mess in their first drawing out attempts, I'll make sure that at least one frame has drawn comb from last year.

Thanks for keeping me on track, Michael.

Linda T