Foundationless vs. PF 120 plastic

Started by Pond Creek Farm, August 08, 2009, 10:45:44 PM

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Pond Creek Farm

August 08, 2009, 10:45:44 PM
IN my harvesting today I found that the PF-120 mediums were drawn out beautifully and full of honey.  The supers with foudnationless had some very nice frames but many weird frames.  Most had honey, but not as much as the pf-120.  This observation pushes me toward the plastic in the honey super.  (although I have but one season of experience here).  I have wondered, however, about having all small cell such that the hives cannot produce drones.  I have a package that I started this April with that ultimately reulted in two deeps of PF-100.  I put a super of foundationless on this hive, and they immediately drew drone brood in the center.  This seemed to me to be natural, so I left it. When I harvested today, this super was full of drone brood with the only honey on the outside. 

What if I used only the plastic and put a few frames of the green comb in to give the bees drone comb in the upper deep?  Would this supply the needed drone comb and stop them from needing to draw it in either burr comb or the honey super? Even if I did not freeze the drone comb as is often done for mite control, Would it not keep the mites off the workers?
Brian

Michael Bush

#1
August 10, 2009, 09:01:49 PM
They really want the drone comb in the brood nest.  An empty frame in the brood nest between two straight combs is almost always drawn out perfectly and if they need drones will be drone comb.
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Joelel

#2
August 11, 2009, 01:29:03 AM
Will they or can they build drone cells on a regular brood plastic foundation ?
Acts2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39: For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40: And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation

Robo

#3
August 11, 2009, 09:32:48 AM
Quote from: Joelel on August 11, 2009, 01:29:03 AM
Will they or can they build drone cells on a regular brood plastic foundation ?
yes and yes
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison


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Scadsobees

#4
August 11, 2009, 12:05:40 PM
I really like the plastic in the honey supers.  I have a few foundationless super frames that they drew out as all drone.  Even though they have plenty of drone comb in the brood boxes, the queen will still travel up through 2 supers of capped honey to lay in that one frame of drone comb in the super. :-x

But that is only a frame or two, not a full super.  Yes, if you had more drone comb in the brood boxes they wouldn't lay so much up top.
Rick
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