--- Jim Stein <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> I've been feeding
> them since summer but the bees didn't draw out the
> foundation as I had hoped. I was using Rite Cell
>plastic. I'm beginning to think the bees won't draw
>out this type of foundation except under high honey
>flow conditions.
>


I have had very good luck with various brands of the
plastic foundations- including Rite-cell.  The bees do
need to have some nectar or syrup coming in to build
comb, but I have not found that a "high" nectar flow
is necessary.

I have noticed tht some hives are better comb builders
than others, and some hives never seem to really "take
off". The slow pokes are hopeless for drawing out
comb, weather plastic or wax foundtion is used.

All in all I have had better results with the plastic
foundation than with wax foundation- probably because
I am not the best at getting the wax foundation in
tight and straight.  My plastic foundation combs are
much straighter, and have fewer drone cells than my
wax based ones.

I have mixed wax and plastic in a few hives, and while
the bees did draw out the wax <slightly> faster when
the combs were being filled with honey, I found that
in a box placed directly over the brood nest, the
queen moved right up and started laying eggs in the
undrawn plastic cell bases- forcing the workers to
draw them up in an effort to keep up with her!  I have
never seen a queen do this with untouched wax
foundation.

When I find a hive that has a queen that does this-
lays eggs faster than the workers can draw out the
foundation, I mark that hive to be a real "Boomer" and
give it plenty of empty supers to draw out- and I'm
usually pleased with the results.

Ellen Anglin