HSC Regression Question

[Pond Creek Farm]

20 frames of HSC (plastic, fully drawn small cell) arrived today.  I am planning on using this as a quicker regression tool.  I have one established hive and one package of bees arriving (Italian from Walter Kelley).  A second package is coming but is small cell already.

Package Bees:

I plan on using the queen excluder as a queen includer until established.  One deep with ten frames.  Then what?  What about drone comb?  Will the hive not strive for 10-15% drone comb?  Should I put one frame of the green plastic done comb or just a starter stripped frame so the bees can make what they want? How long do these things stay in there before I can start pulling them out and inserting empty frames with starter strips?  Do I put the second deep on with the HSC at the appropriate time or just a second deep with stater stripped frames?

Established Hives:

How do I use the HSC to regress the establihsed hive?  (2 deeps with one medium overwinter).

Thanks for any advice.

[Michael Bush]

>I plan on using the queen excluder as a queen includer until established.  One deep with ten frames.  Then what?

After the queen is laying in the combs at all, remove the includer.

After they have filled 80% of that with brood or honey or it's about full of bees, add a box of whatever you plan to use next, foundationless, small cell wax, PF100s, PF120s.

>  What about drone comb?  Will the hive not strive for 10-15% drone comb?

Of course they will, and with the HSC it will be difficult for them.  But they won't be interested in drones until they get somewhat established.  Sooner or later I'd give them an empty frame in the brood nest to build drone comb on.

> Should I put one frame of the green plastic done comb or just a starter stripped frame so the bees can make what they want?

Either will work.  An empty frame in the brood nest (no starter strip needed as the comb on either side will act as a guide) is cheaper and works just as well.

> How long do these things stay in there before I can start pulling them out and inserting empty frames with starter strips?

You can leave them forever if you like.  You can leave them for a about a month or two as far as getting all the bees regressed.

>  Do I put the second deep on with the HSC at the appropriate time or just a second deep with stater stripped frames?

Which do you want to use?  They will both work fine.

>How do I use the HSC to regress the establihsed hive?  (2 deeps with one medium overwinter).

Feed them into the core of the brood nest. Keep an eye on them and don't add any room except HSC until they are using it.  Then feed more in as they fill them.  Work out empty comb and honey as the bees can afford it.  Make sure you don't take ALL their honey.

[Robo]

Package Bees:

I plan on using the queen excluder as a queen includer until established.  One deep with ten frames.

This is exactly what I did last year with a couple of swarms.

Then what?  What about drone comb?  Will the hive not strive for 10-15% drone comb?

I then added a second deep of HSC.   Surprisingly,  neither hive seemed to intent on raising drones.  It wasn't until I install honey supers that they made bur comb with drone cells.

Should I put one frame of the green plastic done comb or just a starter stripped frame so the bees can make what they want?

You could, but just adds another variable to go wrong with your "quick" regression.

How long do these things stay in there before I can start pulling them out and inserting empty frames with starter strips?

Ideally you want all the original bees replaced by bees raised in the HSC.  At that point you would be fully regressed.

Do I put the second deep on with the HSC at the appropriate time or just a second deep with stater stripped frames?

For the quickest regression,  I would go with the HSC.  If you add starter strips while you still have original large cell bees,  you will get intermediate regressed comb (just like doing regression without HSC).  Don't rush them off of HSC before you have a fully regressed population or you will have defeated your original intent.

Established Hives:

How do I use the HSC to regress the establihsed hive?  (2 deeps with one medium overwinter).

I have had no luck getting a hive to accept new HSC if they have "any" wax comb available.  With that said, once HSC has been used,  it is accepted just like wax.  So for established hives, the best way to regress is to use "used" HSC and slowing feed them into the center of the brood area and move the large cell to the outside and remove when the brood has hatched.

[Pond Creek Farm]

Thanks for the advice. I will put it all to good use and report and let you know how it turns out.