From: DeeALusby1@aol.com
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 15:36:02 EST
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: cell size measurement

In a message dated 1/1/02 10:20:30 AM Pacific Standard Time,
DeeALusby1@aol.com writes:

> Yes there was large cell foundation, but only in the late 1960s when 706 7/11
> foundations were introduced in the USA did chaulk appear in the early 1970s
> within a matter of 5-7 years. Here luckly we are not like Europe with many
> manufacturers. We are centralized with our manufacturing, and american
> beekeepers are known for not changing combs fast. This centralizing helped.
> Also WWII helped slow the phase-in of larger combs as used bigger and bigger
> in Europe.

Reply:
I would like to make a correction here. I was out wiring frames and remembers
where the documents were in my files on this so I pulled them out. 706
foundation was first made for cut comb honey and first written about in ABJ
in 1961 on page 140-141, and then subsequently written about in 1962 in ABJ
on pages 172-173. It is a mid-sized foundation that was found to hinder the
storing of pollen in colonies(nowadays we have even bigger foundations in our
hives hindering this by the way). Also it was written that the cell size
seems to confuse the bees and you only end up with scatter patches of brood
being raised (at that time in history - Dee here).

Now Walter T. Kelly wrote about 7/11 and even used this in his advertising as
it was kin to the 706 that * The cells of this foundation are milled larger
than brood cells but smaller than drone cells and the queen does not like to
lay in these 7/11 cells but occasionally they do to some extent. However if
you leave this foundation on the hives over winter the bees will have time to
work it over and you will have solid drone brood. Put all types of foundation
on the hives at the start or during a honey flow and if not drawn out remove
it ad store until the next honey flow.*

Now on Chaulk, it was first found in 1971, in Nebraska and Wyoming in 1971.
This was believed to be the first published record of its occurrence in
honeyt bees in the USA though the disese was known in Europe for more than
half a century and widely distributed there (but remember that Europ was
ahead of the USA in upsizing combs).

Now also to note. I have a copy of Roy Grout's Masters thesis in my
possession. Now Roy Grout worked for the Dadant's as publisher or the ABJ and
also was a very good bee breeder and came to Tucson Arizona in later years.
He worked at the lab here for awhile I think. But to get to the point, Roy
Grouts Thesis is posted on biobee for all to read as I sent a copy to Barry
for posting. Now what is interesting is that Roy Grout was a rhombic user in
measurements and this thesis was on cell size and variations etc and was to
me a road map of the Dadant's going larger with successive upsizings and is
thus a road map back down the sizes to the natural sizes.

This means then for correction that the time lapse for the chaulk to appear
was about 10 years from introduction of the 706 & 7/11 sizes, and seems to
indicate that within this time frame the combs were bought and used by some
and incorporated into the broodnests by being either left on or just bought
by those wanting to go bigger.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby