From: Micky Lee <mlee4321@juno.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 21:06:06 -0500
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Size of honey and drone combs

Dee wrote,

> You will find that when you put in 4.9mm foundation many basic
> things will change. Concerning pollen, you will find that your bees will bring
> in colors from floral sources you have never seen before, but was available
> all the time. We went from patches of pollen brought in to whole sheets of
> pollen stored in some hives with the whole bottom super practically filled
> with nothing else. It has caused us to like honey (when placing it to the
> sides for room in the center for the queen to lay) make room for the queen
> to lay by placing pollen frames to the sides in the bottom super with just
> one outside frame of honey on each end.Thus leaving the next two pollen.
> In the second super we leave 50/50 honey and pollen frames on the outside.
> In the third super we leave all honey on the outside three frames. We also
> now give whole frames of pollen to colonies just starting to bring them up
> fast.

Comment

Please remember that I am speaking with experience using foundation
available from Kelly, Dadant and others in recent years. Beekeepers that
have moved here from other areas tell us that pollen collection in other
areas is significantly different than here in Eastern MO.

In this area bees collect far more pollen than they use. Pollen is
available to them for collection, if it is warm enough for them to fly.
If we get an early frost followed by warm weather [Indian Summer], they
will sometimes fill five or six frames with pollen. By the time the
queen shuts down for winter much of the brood nest is pollen filled
cells. When she begins laying in January, pollen is coming in faster
than they are using it. During this period honey stores drop rapidly.
When the nectar begins coming in, pollen is still coming it at least as
fast as they are using it.

The old pollen turns brown or black and the bees will not use it. The
only reason some beekeepers cull comb is to remove pollen comb which has
filled up the brood area leaving no room for the queen to lay.

Micky