From: Barry Birkey <barry@birkey.com>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 08:22:23 -0500
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Strain

> My concept is to give new frames with 1/4 sheet of 4.9 foundation every
> three weeks, as a new cycle of bees is working the comb. I had thought to
> add 3 more frames with 1/2 sheet of 4.9 foundation in another 3 weeks with
> the next cycle. Then three weeks later three more frames with a full sheet
> of 4.9, each time moving the completed combs with their brood up a chamber,
> above an excluder.

Hi Joel -

When I went through this process last year, I put both hives through 2
shakedowns to get pretty decent 4.9 drawn comb. I think for those wanting to
do the regression using a more gentle method or a step approach, may find
the result to be unsatisfactory. I could be wrong though and hope I'm proven
to be. Dee pointed out again in her reply to John S. that bees will
naturally build small brood cells at just certain times of the year and the
rest of the time, either honey sized cells or no cell building. If you are
trying to get them to build a smaller cell size when they are in the mode of
honey gathering, you may have a hard time doing it. When they are shaken
down onto foundation only, they have no choice but to start making brood
cells as their primary focus. It will be interesting to see how you and John
make out with your plan. It will give us all many different scenarios of
comb building to observe and study.

Regards,

Regards, Barry Birkey

Illinios, USA
barry@birkey.com
BioBee archives: http://www.bee-l.com/bioarchive/index.htm