Hi All
 
Interesting reading Lloyds post about how to get drones/cells etc.
 
In my area foundation is quite expensive and the cell sizes are all
wrong, so I don't use full sheets per frame - in fact I use about a
1cm strip at the top of each brood frame, sealed in with candle wax.
 
Nevertheless I have noticed that the bees will always make two
beautiful drone combs on the outer edges of the nest, one on each
side - which they use for honey storage, pollen storage and drone
production when needed. If one places such a frame in the centre of
the brood nest the bees will either move the brood nest if there is
not much pollen coming in, or they will produce lots of drones. Given
that our drones are drifters a strong drone producing hive will never
have many drones in it - all the weaker hives nearby will though!!
(even although they have little drone brood they will have roughly
similar numbers of drones to the stronger hive that is producing the
drones)
 
As far as the need for foundation goes it is very imporatant to
remember that genetically bees are programmed to produce cells of a
very specific size - hence if you have africans on european carnolian
size foundation you will get bad wax drawing, and the bees would in
fact draw a comb faster if it did not have foundation! Likewise for
me with capensis on scutellata foundation it is quicker to let the
bees do their own thing. (Then they don't have to chew up my
expensive foundation sheets before drawing them each time)
 
 
Keep well
 
Garth
 
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
15 Park Road
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
6139 South Africa
 
Time = Honey