Hope I'm Doing This Right....

[Francus]

General background: 8 frame mediums (except the hive super w/bees I bought) and foundationless.

Bought Mutt Hive:
The mutts I bought were doing real good so I took the a deep frame with brood from the outside and put an empty frame in the middle of the deep to get the bees to draw it out. They have been drawing nice foundationless in the medium right above and I'd like to get all foundationless in the deep with the idea to get them out of the deep and into all mediums in the spring.

Package Hive:
The package bees from a week and a half ago have drawn 6 frames so I added another medium. I cut out brood from the frame taken from the mutts and rubberbanded it to a frame and added it to the medium I just added. The thinking is the hive seems low in numbers and I wanted enough house bees (then foragers) to hold the hive over until this queen has some of her own out and about.

Also, I had to cut out some of the comb as it was starting to head off in a strange direction. Sadly this comb had eggs.

I removed the hive feeder as they had capped some stores in the foundation drawn out. I did not notice any larvae, or eggs in the foundation I left. There may have been eggs, but I am positive no larvae.

I am hoping I did the right thing. Anyone else who is doing foundationless feel free to chime in. Actually, everybody pile on and give me opinions!!!

[Michael Bush]

Any comb you cut out can be rubber banded into frames to get it straight...

[kedgel]

I always put cut sections of comb from cut-outs into the frames and the bees repair it and weld it together.  Problem is, I end up with some really screwy combs.  Also, the ladies get lazy when melding sections together and fill the gaps with drone comb.  I guess that's why God made foundation!