> ... bees, when left to themselves, build comb with a range of cell 
sizes, resulting in a range of bee-sizes within the hive.

This is not news, and I hope we all realize that foundation is a 
compromise and used strictly for the convenience of the beekeeper. It is 
also true that under some conditions, bees will make natural comb more 
quickly than they will draw some and possibly any foundation.

We're discussing foundation here.  We have made the decision to use 
foundation, having fully considered alternatives and knowing how much 
additional work the wrong choice can cause, and have discarded the idea 
of going without foundation, merely to seek an hypothetical advantage, 
and out of concern for our bottom line.

I think we are all aware that foundation places constraints on the 
bees.  In fact, that is the whole idea.  Going foundationless and doing 
it honestly so as not to compromise the advantages (if any) and to keep 
frames where the bees drew them, places constraints on the beekeeper in 
regard moving frames around and other management practices that are 
incompatible with commercial beekeeping requirements -- or even the 
needs and abilities of most sideliners. Most of us run Langstroth hives 
and exchange brood boxes and supers up and down and many move frames 
freely throughout the hive as required.

 > I get the impression (non -scientific I know!) that hives on 
naturally drawn, foundationless, comb do better than those on 
foundation-based comb.

I'd love to see a study done on that question.  I suspect that the 
reason we do not is that any potential researcher has enough varied 
experience and perspective to see that eschewing foundation is a 
non-starter for any but the third world or amateur beekeeper.

I'd also like to know what measures of "doing better" would be used.  
I'd also like to see if the _beekeeper_ does better, too. Seems to me 
that the added amount of planning, work and problems arising from this 
practice would nullify any advantages and cause the beekeeper to try to 
obtain foundation.  After all, foundation was invented to overcome those 
problems and improve profitability. If it didn't, I think it would have 
been a passing fad instead of a basic part of beekeeping in developed 
countries for over a century.

I think, also, at this point that both Stan and I have concluded that 
PF100s are not the bargain they seemed to be.

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