Hi Fr. Athanasios:

I have used regular wax foundation over the last 20 years and have started
using permadent in the last 3 or 4 years. I find that the regular wax
foundation is drawn easier and faster than the permadent. Most likely this
is because the bees can use the excess wax in the sheet to draw out the
cells. The permadent has only a thin layer of wax and the bees must create
new wax to draw out he foundation.

I put a box of 10 frames directly over the brood chamber of a strong hive
at the start of a honey flow (no excluder). It helps to put one drawn comb
in the box to get them going. Since they draw the centre combs first, I
move the two centre combs out to the outside as soon as they are drawn,
repeating until all are drawn.

There is a real variation in the willingness of hives to draw comb. If
they don't work in them, or if they draw comb crosswise, I take the box
away and give it to another hive. This crosswise comb is often drone comb
and its presence may show that the hive does not have as many drones as it
would like.


 Best regards,

Donald Aitken
Edmonton Alberta Canada