In a message dated 30/12/2006 07:57:46 GMT Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

1.  Apidia boxes that I have seen have a piece of queen excluder  in
front of the fondant.  Why is it important to keep the Q out of  the
foundant ?


We  don't want her to get besmeared or to use the fondant box as an extension 
of  the brood nest.  


2.  What are the advantages of feeding fondant rather than  syrup in
Apidea boxes ?
 
You fill an Apidea with bees by turning it upside down. This gets  messy with 
syrup.  Later feeds can be with syrup. A few fir cones wedged  into the feed 
container give the bees something to stand  on.

3.  In the mini frames we normally use starter strips of  wax.  What
are the advantages of this as against giving them a full  mini sheet ?
 
Full sheets of foundation are walls splitting the colony.  The  few workers 
in a mini nuc need to work altogether in a cluster using warmth  and gravity to 
draw their combs.


Chris  







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