Quickly my 2 cents worth.

When I originally read Dee's first post I kind of zoned out mid-way through
the article.  Too many Is and Ys and I ended up thinking "I Yigh Yigh Yigh,
what do they burn in those smokers in Arizona?"

Then Jim's Housel/Anti Housel response really left me swinging, wondering if
he uses Arizon smoker fuel too.  I was amazed in his discussion that he
didn't work in a Full Housel and just take the pot (poker, not fuel) and go
home.

Then I went to Barry's pages for clarification on that special middle frame
that has Up-Ys and Up-Ys on on both sides.  That's where I got an inkling
what everyone was talking about.  It's not 2 Ys on the same frame, it's a
pair of frames positioned such that the up Ys are facing each other, setting
a reference for the center of the comb configuration from which the pattern
of up Y and down Y are to sequence out.  With that understanding I got to
wonder, what would be the effect if the pair of middle frames were not
numbers 5 and 6, but pethaps 7 and 8.  Would the bees then be more liberal
(right of center).  If the center frames were 3 and 4 would they be more
conservative?  Would they fly skewed left or right?  And if a beekeeper runs
nine frames, are his/her bees doomed to political misidentity?  Cursed be
that beekeeper for damning their bees!!!  It was at that point that I went
out to see what I was burning in MY smoker!

And then I thought about how the bees build their cells from the raised rib.
Regardless if the cell is built from an up-Y side or a down-Y side, the
hexagonal cell is built with a (what is it, 5 degree angle) upwards from the
plane surface of the foundation.  The plane of the cell tops ends up one bee
space away from the plane surface of the tops of the sells on the adjacent
frame.  Regardless if the frames are in a Housel configuration or an
anti-Housel config, the resulting combs are alike.  I guess the cell
openings of a Housel configuration would be exactly opposite, whereas they
would be a half cell lower in an anti-Housel configuration IF we were
talking PERFECT geometry.  But we all know the bees don't follow PERFECT
geometry.

So I've thought it through about as much as I'm inclined.  I've filed it in
the cold fusion pile.  I'm sure the proponents will continue to espouse the
virtues of a Housel configuration, I'm sure the skeptics will contiue to
pooh-pooh it.  I can't imagine an experiment that will give a definitive
answer, nor can I imagine anyone doing such an experiment to the
satisfaction of the nay sayers.  I wonder how long the discussion will last.
Chris says it's been debated since at least the early 20s, so I guess it's
good for at least 6 months on BEE-L!

Aaron Morris - thinking a Full Housel beats two pair!