Cut comb question ?

[RAlex]

I am going to try and make some cut comb honey this year. This is my plan
1) start with a new queen
2) place new queen in old hive location(from split)
(assuring that there are lots of field bees)
3)single hive body with queen excluder
now my question ...Would it be better to alternate cut comb frame with drawn frames ? I understand that I need drawn comb to bring the bees above the excluder? ...Thanks Rick Alexander

[Michael Bush]

>1) start with a new queen

Won't hurt.

>2) place new queen in old hive location(from split)

I assume a cut down split?

>3)single hive body with queen excluder

I'd drop the excluder.

>now my question ...Would it be better to alternate cut comb frame with drawn frames ?

Not if you want cut comb.

> I understand that I need drawn comb to bring the bees above the excluder?

They won't care if you crowd them up into the super, which is the principle of a cut down split. In a cut down you have removed all but one brood box and crowded them up into the supers. Drawn comb won't bait them up much. Brood will.