> Does this make a difference? Don't see that it would effect the bees comb
> drawing. Do you think it would?

Clay -

Assuming these combs are from the bait hives
(http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/trip/35.htm), I think it's fair to say
that there is a possibility that this system would show different results
than a swarm that starts completely from scratch without the pheromone and
the remaining comb stubs. It certainly should be mentioned in the results as
it differs from a truly "natural" hive. Surely pheromones do something to
bees or it wouldn't be used. I have no idea in this case if it changes the
comb positioning or sequence, but there is a way to find out. Is it not
important to know all the facts about what is being reported? A more
convincing comb would be one that came from a feral swarm housed in a cavity
without any aids. I'm still skeptical about using combs hanging from a tree
branch to support the reasoning for matching it in our box hives, when a
closer match would be comb from bees living in some type of cavity where
there aren't the same influences on them from nature. I'd like to see
either, but especially comb from cavities.

Time to build that bee vac this winter and look closer at the cut-outs next
year. Does Matthew W. have any observations here? I see he has done quite a
few removals over the last few years.

Regards,
Barry