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Foundationless comb question

  • 31 Mar 2025 12:30 PM
    Reply # 13481315 on 13480781
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Yes I think drone comb holds more honey.

    I think the bees might convert it if they needed worker cell space. 

    Last modified: 31 Mar 2025 12:38 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 31 Mar 2025 11:35 AM
    Reply # 13481277 on 13480781
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    First some background on my style of apiary management: I run a combination of foundationless, plastic and wired wax foundation.... all on Medium Hive bodies for standardization purposes. With a small operation maxing out at like 6 hives, this helps me with resource sharing between hives.  All the plastic is a bit legacy; I use only what I have.  All my new frames are either Frameless (Popsicle Stick) or Wax Foundation. I alternate such new frames in boxes to encourage building straight comb (alternating foundation/frameless) or checker-boarding with existing drawn straight frames I have available. This is all for me not the bees :-)

    In brood areas, I typically trust and give some opportunity to the bees to build what they need/want by using some frameless in the mix. I also save as many drawn frames as I can from dead-outs and honey harvesting including fully drone comb ones.

    Bees like to build in the spring... so given them a little bit of undrawn helps build my available inventory of frames to use in the future.  I will, however, pull fully drone frames from the brood chamber and then give them something new to build on when given the chance in the early spring. But I'll leave any partial frames of drone alone. No reason to go OCD on them.

    I don't put old "fully drone" comb frames back in the brood area (e.g. it's all drone). For any of these saved fully drone comb frames, if they look good to be in good shape, I might put them up top in the hive where they are most likely to store honey and not raise brood.

    I only cull frames when they are very old or are wonky in some way. 

    In summary, I typically try to save ANY serviceable frame for future use including the one's they have built a lot of drone comb.

  • 30 Mar 2025 8:17 AM
    Message # 13480781

    I’m a 5th year beekeeper and am starting to transition to using some foundationless frames. I’m noticing a lot of drone comb and wondering how you manage that with foundationless. Obviously you can just cut it out, but for those of you that run foundationless do you have any tips? Do you cut it out a certain way like always to the top? Do you only put in new frames to be drawn at a certain time if the year or in a certain hive situation? I maybe remember reading they are more likely to build worker cells if the queen has run out of places to lay. Thoughts? 

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