From: "Brent Farler"   " In the
> days of basswood sections were there any rules about what the bees would
> build on or ignore?"

This is an interesting new topic - I would love to supply sections on my
stall as they look so much more 'natural' than a row of jars and would make
peple stop and look.  But previous efforts were always disappointing.
The problems seemed to be:
1. bees build comb in the centre of a wax-making cluster , deepening the
midrib and drawing out both sides in balance.  Sections force the bees to
draw foundation in only small clusters (there is no room for a big one) and
from one side only.  The rim of the section makes it more difficult for the
small clusters erach side to link up round the bottom.  So bees ignore
foundation in sections if they have other options.
2. good sections need a strong flow - in UK we get persistent drizzles
rather than sudden floods.

I have been wondering whther to try Simmins methos of 1887, which was almost
a bye-product of his swarm control system.  He induced the bees to build new
combs at brood level at the front of the hive, and constantly cut out the
new comb so that the combs were never complete - that at least delayed
swarming. He then filled his sections with bits of fresh FULLY DRAWN  comb.

Simmins system might let us use very small sections, of any size or shape
(why not triangular, to make a small bit look bigger on a stall) which would
be filled quicker in our weak flows. The sections might be worked better by
the bees if the section sides were thinner - say of stiff waxed cardboard?

Does anyone think that could work?

Robin Dartington

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