> Gary Lewis wrote:

 While I am here... I either read it hear or saw it in a
catalog... That being frames that have only a one or two inch
strip of foundation at the top and bottom of the frames. Can
anyone comment on this? And for what purpose is this done? I can
see that it would give the bees a place to start to draw from
and perhaps provide nice comb or chunk honey.


    Yes, I use these strips in all my hives in order to save on the cost of a whole super
    or brood frame. One problem I have encountered is : I only wax the top part of the
    frame - The bees then in turn sometimes do not draw the comb to the bottom of the
    frame - they leave about 5 mm space. In supers this weakens the comb slightly.
    During extraction, caution should be applied with these combs or else they would
    break, especially when they are new.


    Glen van Niekerk
    South Africa