I have been using apidea mating boxes for several years. A good box except 
for its price.



  a.. 1. Apedia boxes that I have seen have a piece of queen excluder in
  > front of the fondant. Why is it important to keep the Q out of the
  > foundant ?
Not out of the fondant but out of the wild combs the bees make after they 
have eaten the fondant out. I have some hives without the excluder and 
sometimes the queen is in these wild combs when I look for her. More than 
doubles the time to catch her.
>
> 2. What are the advantages of feeding fondant rather than syrup

Biggest advantage less robbing. Also with fondant it is easier to fill the 
bees into the box through the bottom. Feed stays in place when you turn the 
box upside down. I fill always at beginning with fondant, sometimes add more 
as liquid, but mostly use fondant to reduce robbing.

It took 4 years from my beekeeper friend to figure out that the boxes should 
be filled with bees from bottom as no one told him. Work change was dramatic 
and he was quite happy with his *invention*. I take 2,5 dl lightly wetted 
bees on a cup, slide bottom open, throw fast the bees in and slide the 
bottom closed fast. Fast and only few bees on the outsides of the boxes. No 
need to take the frames out.


> 3. In the mini frames we normally use starter strips of wax. What
> are the advantages of this as against giving them a full mini sheet ?


I don't see much difference, but use also only starters, as less foundation 
is needed.

Ari Seppälä

Finland

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