best method for undrawn frame (super) additions

[Dane Bramage]

Greetings all,

I've a load (120) of new supers, mediums with wired-wax foundation, that I am keen to put into production soon.  I'm wondering what the best option of doing this would be.  I could, of course, just add a new super of 100% undrawn comb but I am also curious as to the advantages/disadvantages, if any, of adding the undrawn frames interspersed with drawn comb; sort of like "checkerboard" style (alternating) for example .  On the plus side I can venture a guess that the drawn comb would entice the bees into the supers faster (especially if some of these frames are "wet", recently harvested).  On the negative side I could see having all the older, drawn comb frames capped and ready while the newer ones are quite behind.  I'd prefer to have the supers as homogeneous as possible.  I'm already replacing a frame or two of uncapped honey sometimes.. not a big deal but getting a 50/50 capped/uncapped ratio would be inefficient & even problematic.  I wonder if it could even be worse than that scenario, for example, the bees not drawing comb on the new frames but building the drawn ones up huge and/or creating burr comb between.

Has anyone experimented with adding new frames as a mix with drawn frames?  I'm really hesitant to add any at all at the moment as I'd rather have that luscious blackberry nectar used for honey than wax.  But, with this massive flow on I'm doing the "super shuffle" (e.g. remove, harvest, replace ASAP) and wouldn't mind stacking them up (up to 5/colony) so I could harvest at a more leisurely pace.  ;)

TIA,
Dane

[JP]

In a good flow they should welcome the undrawn frames and with the drawn ones checkerboarded in it should entice them to build in those boxes. I would just give it a try, you seem to always have something in bloom in "the wetlands".


...JP

[Dane Bramage]

In a good flow they should welcome the undrawn frames and with the drawn ones checkerboarded in it should entice them to build in those boxes. I would just give it a try, you seem to always have something in bloom in "the wetlands".
...JP

Thx JP!  Yeah - if not in the wetlands than in the farms/orchards around it.  I just found a raspberry farm nearby... I really need to take a ride and survey all these farms here and see what they've got going.

Do you know of anyone who has added undrawn frames in that way (alternating, every other with fully drawn frames)?  I'm really curious as to how it will turn out.  I'd rather learn from someone else's mistakes.. err, I mean experience!   ;)   If I can't well... I'll just have to try and see.  What did they say about the cat again?  :-P

Cheers,
Dane

[JP]

First off, has anyone on here ever asked you what your real name is? Well if not I'll be the first, so...? What's your name if you don't mind me asking.

I don't recall anyone checkerboarding frames in honey supers but I don't see why it wouldn't work. Brian will chime in here soon, he's probably tried it.

Or perhaps Michael Bush will, remember him?

Anyway...


...JP

[DaveKow]

First off, has anyone on here ever asked you what your real name is?

...JP

What would make you think that isn't his real name?  What else would you call your kid if your last name was Bramage?  :-D  :roll:

[JP]

First off, has anyone on here ever asked you what your real name is?

...JP

What would make you think that isn't his real name?  What else would you call your kid if your last name was Bramage?  :-D  :roll:

You know you may have a point there Dave, hope I didn't offend!! ;)
Are you going to make me suffer Dane? :? ;)


...JP

[Ross]

The  best method is to wait for a strong flow and put on full boxes of all one type, drawn or undrawn.  If you intermingle them, the drawn combs will get very fat at the expense of the undrawn combs.  If you put undrawn frames between capped frames or brood frames, they usually do fine.

[KONASDAD]

when I checkered boarde my supers w/ drawn and undrawn they often make messy comb for me. they also draw nice fat ones from the already drawn frames. Nonetheless, I still do it because you never seem to have a consistent flow, or things happen, make up nucs, caqtch a swarm etc. I have more combinations now than ever.

[Brian D. Bray]

I've always found that mixing things up can cause confusion and result in a big mess.  From my experience (I know a lot will disagree) I would either use all foundationless, all founation, or all plastic.  Given a choice they will work what they prefer and make a mess out of everything else.

[Dane Bramage]

Thanks for the replies all!

Given a choice they will work what they prefer and make a mess out of everything else.

That seems to be the general consensus and what I suspected.  I was thinking if I added any drawn with the undrawn frames at all it would only be as an experiment on a sole super; with two drawn frames positioned first and last, sandwiching the rest of the undrawn.  That probably won't work either, but I'm curious.

First off, has anyone on here ever asked you what your real name is?

...JP

What would make you think that isn't his real name?  What else would you call your kid if your last name was Bramage?  :-D  :roll:

You know you may have a point there Dave, hope I didn't offend!! ;)
Are you going to make me suffer Dane? :? ;)

Offended?  Not at all, not at all.  You see that is my nom de internet.  My real name is spelled Raymond Luxury-Yacht (but it is, in fact, pronounced Throatwobbler Mangrove).  I want to be on television!

:-D

[Ross]

I find one drawn frame in the middle of the box is a good idea if you are doing foundationless.  I gives them a guide to start from and it gives them a ladder.  They just seem to get started a bit better that way.  That said, I have slapped on a box of empty frames and walked away and made good honey.  It just takes a flow.