Dear Bee folks,
 
I have a few questions and I wonder if some of you would be kind enough to
respond to me drawing from your vast experiential data bases.
 
1- I live in an area in California where there never seems to be a nectar or pollen
dearth.  Hence, I find totally filled/plugged upper breed chambers in mid winter.
The bees NEVER use this pollen or honey.  I have to take it off to loosen the BCs
so the girls will not swarm in March.  this year, I tried something different.  I
scrapped off the plastic (Permadent) frames and put them back into the Brood
chambers.  Question.  Will the bees draw out and use the scrapped down frames?
I know people have said they will but does anyone have any actual experience
with this.  In addition, If I put scrapped down foundation next to drawn
foundation, will the bees choose to draw out the scrapped foundation or will they
draw out the already drawn frame over to the new foundation?  I know I can wait
and see but I would like to avoid problems in the BC if possible.
 
2- I am wanting to buy a heated bottling tank.  I see Kelly sells a "Grocers Tank"
cat # 201 for $177.00.  Does anyone have any feeling about this tank and how it
really functions?  I see it probably only heats from the bottom.  Is this a
drawback?  I would really like the Maxant 600-2 or 3 but these are $700 & $825.
It behooves me to explore the less expensive Kelly tank.  If anyone has any real
life experience with these tanks, I would appreciate your comments on one or
both.  Please respond to me personally regarding both these questions as I am
sure it will bore the rest of the troops out there.
 
Tanks....I mean Thanks
 
Mason Harris
[log in to unmask]