James Fischer wrote:
>
> My understanding of factors not open to dispute is:
>
> a) Bees working without foundation will tend to draw comb no smaller or 
>    larger than the comb in the hive from which they came.
>
>   
Dennis Murrel can comment better than I on this, but what I recall in 
his research on small cells is the bees tend to draw comb in a continuum 
rather that any kind of uniform and consistent cell size. They actually 
do build comb both smaller and larger than what they started with but it 
will be in line with what they started with.

Bob Harrison commented on this as to what he was doing with his trails. 
I have seen it with feral combs.

The bees are also not uniform in size but their size varies by season 
with the smallest in winter and largest during or after the summer 
flows. He has some nice pictures that show this. The winter brood nest 
is mainly on the small foundation and summer on large and small.

But you did say "tend" so maybe I am nit picking.

I have alway thought that Dennis work is the actual breakthrough in 
beekeeping for our time. The first company that presses foundation that 
matches his work will make money. Non-uniform natural comb. The problem 
is there will be several different sheets since the size also varies 
from the central frame to the distant frames.

Bill Truesdell (always open to dispute- not my comments mind you, just 
yours)
Bath, Maine

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