Ever since Penn State started ringing the bell about residue in comb (mostly coumaphos and fluvalinate) 15 years or so ago I have been on a new comb regimen of 2 frames per box each year.  Each new frame (all plastic foundation wood frames) gets a year date by magic marker on the top bar and are located together in the center of each box. The older frames move out to each side and the now 5 year olds at the outside are pulled for feed or recycle. I have no hard data confirming that this does any real good but here are my opinions.

1 No frames now in use ever saw any of the above mentioned miteisides and any pesticide residue picked up in the environment at least  gets culled periodically. 2 By doing the replacement in the early spring build-up (for me April) one the frames get pulled out quickly and two I believe that it helps control swarming by giving the girls a task. 3 Old comb cells get smaller in diameter with each generation so after many years you are practicing "small cell" beekeeping by default and I don't think that that has an advantage. 4 New comb usually conforms to the ideal of mostly worker cells and a few drone along the lower edges encouraging the desired "rainbow" nest pattern of brood, pollen, honey that at least I like to see. 5 It may just be aesthetics but I don't like old black, drone infested, mis-shappen comb even if the queen seems not to care a wit.

What do we know about the longevity of feral nest combs?  I bet Tom Seeley knows. In my limited experience of cavity or structure removals I have not seen a lot of old black comb. Plastic foundation has been for me a great advancement. The bees readily accept it if given proper timing, the labor savings are significant and they are much more durable in the extracting suppers. I am a card carrying old fart but I think most of the objections to plastic have no empirical evidence to support them. I would love to hear of any actual data to the contrary. 

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA

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