> In general, I was pleased to see that these frames were waxed quite
 > well

Good points.  The PF100s I have are not waxed.  My Piercos were 
obviously dipped.  That often makes a difference.

 > I agree that the plastic is not of as high a quality,,,
 > We don't usually leave frames in the sun for long.

As I say, even the ones that never were left in the light seem brittle 
and are easily damaged by prying.

 > but, the price was so much cheaper that I can accept that.  It was
 > less than two thirds of the price.

We paid $1.75 for the waxed Piercos.  The Mann Lake website says $1.90, 
but call for bulk pricing.  Could it be that much less?  Shipping may be 
a factor, though.

 > What was really noticeable was that some hives just detested the
 > small cell size.  They would draw the comb flat but all changed to
 > drone cell or intermixed with drone cell because they did not want to
 > follow that size pattern.

I saw the same.

 > I have absolutely no interest in "regressing" my bees to accept
 > that size foundation.  If they don't want to work that cell size then
 > in my opinion it is no longer "natural" for our present day bees.

The whole small cell movement is based on mis-reading old bee books and 
current research, miscalculation and bad math, a denial of the 
Africanization of Southern Arizona, and a dogged determination to be 
different and smarter than everyone else.

Some good has come out of all the BS, though.  We have been reminded 
that although we find that 4.9 and even 5.0 mm (like PF100s) are too 
small for most of us, the 5.3 mm and larger sizes that are commonly 
offered are a bit on the large side for brood.  Their virtue is easier 
extraction, not optimal brood density.

To me the take-home message is that the closer to Root's 5.2 we get for 
brood comb, the better, and Pierco standard frame cell size is the 
closest, at 5.25 mm.

Interestingly, Pierco's medium depth frames use the larger size cell 
that is better for extracting.  The mediums can be used for brood, but 
lack cell size the advantage of the Pierco standard depth frames.

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