>>>  The brood looks much healthier than in the older comb .....<><>    Could you elucidate on how the brood looks better?
 Mike in LA

The newly drawn natural (foundation-free) combs are solid with brood which, when sealed, has very few empty cells.
 
Diverging onto the use of foundation: imagine a team of workers (human bricklayers!) building a wall, working from both sides. Then, if somebody puts a rigid opaque plastic sheet between them, how do they cooperate as well as a team?  The bees work in the opposite direction, from top down, using their united bodies as a plumb line and adjust the cell size in accordance with the family's anticipated needs: larger cells towards the outside so they can be used either for stores or for brood efficiently; smaller towards the centre in order to rear more babies in a tight pack when the weather is colder and they need to cluster to keep them warm.

Give going foundation-free a try and see how it works for YOUR bees. Two things to bear in mind: the hive should be level and they need some initial guidance with a starter strip or a footprint of old comb.  If you put the frame between drawn ones there should be no problem with cross combing.

Chris

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