> I send this out as an observation but also in an attempt to change the > subject.... Good idea. I'm sick of pesticides. It seems the more we discuss that topic, the less we know. About now, I know less than nothing. As for wax foundation, IMO, its day is long past, except for the amateur who has the time to fiddle and time everything perfectly. Too delicate, too easy broken, warped or chewed, and a problem if not drawn right away. Add to that the questionable purity of the wax that goes into foundation these days and plastic rules, even if it, too must be coated with wax in order to achieve the best acceptance. As for the bees gooing up the top and bottom bars on the one-piece frames, that is often due to inaccurate bee space and bad frame alignment between boxes in the stack. The other cause of a lot of brace, burr, and ladder comb is overcrowding the hives, even for a day or two, especially if a sudden flow comes on and the incoming nectar has no place to go. The plastic one-piece frames require more precise management than the wooden frames that have large expanses of lumber to discourage the bees from building. When used properly, I see very little stray comb, and the more compact brood nest that results from the minimal top and bottom bars is a benefit in my cold region. ( See what it looks like outside my door: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/images/2013/IMG315.jpg ) BTW, does anyone know what the ideal bee space actually measures? *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html