I have a stock of foundation that is years old and which I use for starter strips in new frames.  Mostly, when brood combs are beginning to look dark, I ease them gradually from the brood area and, when empty of brood, I take a knife and remove the bred-in part, leaving a small 'footprint' for guidance around the perimeter. 


These frames are then placed next to the brood area.  The bees rapidly draw out fresh comb, with cell sizes of their own choosing rather than the 'one size fits all' they get with foundation.  The brood looks much healthier than in the older comb with very few empty cells for "heater bees".  The colonies generally do very well and, without measuring them, there appears to be a range of sizes of workers flying from the hive, which must make the colony more versatile.


Chris

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