Observation on foundations

Kris^ · July 12, 2006, 08:30:42 PM

The two hives I bought last week were both single boxes full of bees, one with a little more than the other. They bearded up pretty good that first night they were here. So I placed a second deep on each the following day. Because of what I had available, I put 10 frames of starter strips on top of the stronger one and 10 frames of plastic rite-cell on the other. I glanced into the tops earlier this evening, and the hive with the rite-cell has bees all over the top deep. The other hive with the starter strips has few bees in the upper deep, and in fact, they seem to prefer hanging out front of the entrance. I even put a vent box on top of that hive.

I suppose this could be due to a number of things, but I noticed when working with my packages earlier this year that they didn't begin drawing out the second deep with starter strips until I moved a few frames from the bottom up into the new box. Well, I forgot what I noticed before, so now I need to go out and shift a few drawn frames up to get them to move. The bottom boxes that I bought have Pierco one-piece plastic frames and foundation.

Below are the two hives for comparison. The one on the right isn't so much larger than the other that the picture would suggest:

A closer look:

As crowded as they were (both of them in single boxes), there were no swarms cells in either hive. Each hive has at least five frames of capped brood ready to emerge. The guy I bought them from managed them well.

-- Kris

P.S. -- I don't know what "N.J.D.H." stands for. New Jersey Department of Health? Why would THEY be involved in beekeeping?

Brian D. Bray · July 13, 2006, 08:31:56 AM

>>P.S. -- I don't know what "N.J.D.H." stands for. New Jersey Department of Health? Why would THEY be involved in beekeeping?

Department of Health has the job of tracking conmunicable diseases--maybe Varroa mites have been listed as such. LOL
It maybe a brand designating the hive was inspected or that the hive body was, at one time or another, used in experiments via the NJDH.Just a guess.

KONASDAD · July 13, 2006, 11:41:41 AM

I have two hives from the same supplier and they both are stamped w/ names or intitials. I surmise that they are used in his commercial pollination business and help him idnetify his boxes from other commerciasl pollinators who may have hives in the same field. I also surmise they are stamped w/ who made them. Just a guess. Keep me apprised of your sucess/failure as a comparison sinc we now have Minn hygenics. great pics.

Jerrymac · July 13, 2006, 12:11:12 PM

Not Just Da Honey :?:

Kris^ · July 13, 2006, 08:48:22 PM

I swapped three brood frames into the upper box this evening. What a world of difference that made!

-- Kris

Finsky · July 14, 2006, 01:39:58 AM

You should sheck if hive is going to generate swarming. But I do not understand your anxious to use wax strips. What is the idea?

Bees make too much drone combs and waste energy both in wax making and drone raising.

Kris^ · July 14, 2006, 07:52:26 AM

First thing I checked for was queen cells -- there weren't any. As for starter strips: the clonies draws them out quicker than the plastic foundation I was using. For whatever reason, drone comb helps keep brood out of the supers when not using an excluder. But I'm using fully wired wax foundation for the supers, wich they still draw out faster than plastic.

-- Kris

Finsky · July 14, 2006, 09:01:16 AM

Quote from: Kris^drone comb helps keep brood out of the supers when not using an excluder.

That is new to me???

I use 3 deep for brood and queen need not to go honey boxes. Two deeps are not enough for brood, at least in my yard.

Brian D. Bray · July 15, 2006, 03:19:51 AM

The starter strip gives them a handle to start from, the bees will build comb faster w/o foundation than with it. If you want to motivate your hives go to strips--1 sheet of foundation will give you up to 6 starter strips--I cut it into fourths. Look at all the money you save. I've also noticed a slight decrease in the amount of burr comb being built in hives where there was a perpensity for burr comb with foundation after switching the hive to strips.
So, for me, ten sheets of foundation makes 40 frames with starter strips--that's much more cost effective.

Kris^ · July 15, 2006, 07:48:59 AM

Quote from: Finsky
Quote from: Kris^drone comb helps keep brood out of the supers when not using an excluder.

That is new to me???

It's just a thing I've noticed.

-- Kris

DENNIS · July 15, 2006, 09:40:46 PM

Hi
The letter probably stands for his state and name beind a commercial bee pollener. I got four or five from him same deal