On Fri, 7 Jul 1995, Marc Party wrote:
 
> With the INCREDIBLE honey flow
> going on at this very moment, I have the option of using this old comb to
> give to my bees, or of going through the painstaking task of putting in
> foundation on new frames.  I have to get this done in the next 5 days.    I
> have the following types of comb:
>
> - old brood comb, very dark, very heavy frame.
> - old honeycomb, cracked, very dry
> - comb that was stored wet with residual honey, now containing green fungus;
> some is still humid, others are dry;
> - comb stored wet with green fungus AND some orangey stuff too.
> - comb in which, sob, my bees died 2 winter ago.  The comb still contains
> many dead but dry bees well inserted into the cells.
> - combs with big holes chewed into them by mice.
> - combs with combinations of the above.
 
Unless there is some AFB scale, there is no good reason not to use any or
all of the above.  It will be easier for the bees than foundation in any
case -- and you as well.
 
I have seen all the above dealt with quickly by strong hives on a flow.
 
The only mnistake you couild possibly make if this is indeed an
INCREDIBLE flow is to fool around with foundation or driving off to buy
some new/old stuff.
 
My urgent advice:  Go out this very minute and put on some supers -- any
supers -- and at least one more per hive than you can imagine they could
possibly use.
 
You can't believe how many beekeepers do everything else right then fail
to put on the supers *before* the bees need them.
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                        VE6CFK
Rural Route One   Swalwell   Alberta   Canada  T0M 1Y0
Email:   [log in to unmask]    or   [log in to unmask]
Futures, Art & Honey:http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka