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From: Patrick Connell <[log in to unmask]>
To: BEE-L @cnsibm.albany.eduBee List
Subject: Re: Drawing foundation and Honey in brood boxes
Date: June 4, 1998 4:42 AM
 
Drawing foundation:
Have been keeping bees for twenty four years and I have never expected bees
to draw faundation above an excluder.   Foundation is best drawn on a honey
flow or whilst feeding 2:1 sugar syrup.
Foundation is best drawn in the brood nest.   Two or three frames of
foundation in April/May in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada.
  This aids in the prevention of swarming and keeps brood combs new.
There may be some debate as to whether it is best to group foundation
together
in the centre of the brood nest or in the centre alternated with brood
combs.
As James Bach suggests supers of foundation should be baited with drawn
comb.   In my experience never expect bees to draw foundation above an
excluder.   An excluder may contribute to congestion in the broodnest.
Establish a natural barrier to the queen going up for too long by allowing
honey to force her to lay lower down.   Give sufficient room to keep the
broodnest free of being bound with honey but not so much room that the
colony stores honey caverly all over the place in interupted amounts.   I
only use queen excluders when demareeing and in queen rearing operations.
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