>>Are there any biodynamic subscribers who 
>>can explain to me how you can get bees to draw frames with worker cells 
>>without using foundation. 

>the bees will naturally produce about 15% drone comb.  
...
>move that first comb
>towards the sides, and add another frame...when the bees have the
>drone
>comb they want, they will draw worker comb.  this may be "too much
>drone
>comb" for some beekeepers, but the bees obviously don't agree :)

I'm not familiar with "biodynamic beekeeping", but I think I can tell you 
how to get bees to build (worker) combs without foundation.  I have kind of 
a different take, though.  In my experience, established hives will produce 
upwards of 30% drone comb using the above method.  I never really found a 
stopping point, actually.  Swarms and nucs are different.  Swarms, in my 
experience, will draw at least six nearly perfect (standard deep) frames of 
worker brood before building any drone comb, with or without foundation so 
long as they get started on the right axis.  One frame that's already drawn 
seems to get them started right.  I'm used to seeing the seventh or eighth 
frame, maybe part of each, with drone comb, but then the ninth and tenth 
frame are normally worker comb again.  Nucs, especially in the spring (mid-
April to mid-June in the North Carolina foothills), seem to do just as well 
as swarms if not better.  There's really nothing complicated about it: just 
give them one pre-drawn frame to get them started right.  The only catch is 
the need for nucs, but if you're wanting to keep bees more self-
sufficiently, you're going to want nucs anyway, I would think.

Eric

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