---------- From: Allen Dick[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Saturday, March 09, 1996 6:18 AM To: Multiple recipients of list BEE-L Subject: Re: Recycle your Brood Combs? Comb building beyond a point is hard on bees most times of the year and has a cost in honey production. In some years, a lot of comb can be built. In other years, little can be accomplished. For me, 10% (average) is a safe amount of brood comb to replace any year. Some hives will do more, some cannot even do that. Swarms are quite happy to do a lot more In my area, an agressive brood comb building program undertaken without great care and understanding can be beekeeping suicide. I agree that one must be careful when replacing brood comb, especially = if this involves adding foundation to the brood chambers. We do put in = foundation, but only in the spring, if and when the willows and = dandelions are there to support comb building. This might not happen = every year. For example, on a spring when the willows freeze. We usually introduce foundation twice: during the first and second = reversal of the brood chambers. (sounds like lots of work, doesn't it?) Depending on the strenght of = the hive, we will introduce 0, 1 or 2 frames into the box placed on top = after reversal. It is important to place the foundation in the 2nd = position from the edge so that you don't separate the brood nest. We = have found success doing it this way. When we go around to reverse the = second time, we will add foundation to the other box *if conditions are = right for it." Kevin Christensen