> > It would sure save me a lot of work and I could leave the foundation on 
> > the hives until the bees finish it, even over winter.

I see I misspoke myself in that I meant to leave it on over winter, below 
the cluster so it is there in spring when they begin expanding, not 
necessarily to have it drawn now, although he thought did cross my mind. 
Tibor Szabo did some studies on drawing comb in fall in the North and 
decided it was viable, but that was in the days of package bees and I have 
no idea how they wintered after that exertion.  I'm thinking that if they 
had to winter on that brand new comb, they would not do well.

I've drawn many thousands of boxes of foundation from scratch to fully 
filled and capped in the honey season when I was making comb honey, so I 
know how to do that.  I've also finished them at season's end with a variety 
of tricks, but foundation in the brood boxes in September with winter coming 
is another matter.

I'm wondering if, in summer, placing the foundation under rather than in or 
over splits and feeding like crazy might just work.  I want to produce bees 
and brood comb, not honey.

> I would guess it would take 8-9 gallons of syrup to get a full depth drawn 
> and plugged this time of year.

That could add up.  What's a gallon of syrup worth these days?

> The bees in my experience will not draw below until the top box is plugged 
> this time of year.

Yes, and that may or may not be desirable.

> We pull all foundation going into winter and try again next year.

That's what I'm doing and thinking there must be a better way.

BTW, the bees do draw foundation better in EPS (Expanded PolyStyrene boxes, 
I'm finding.  I'd like more of them, even for supers, but no BeeMax.  The 
BeeMax are so weak they break if an empty stack falls over.  The joints can 
hardly stand the weight if the super is full.  It is a flawed design.  The 
Swienty ones are one piece and much stronger. 

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