Natural Comb in Deep Frames

[BWrangler]

Hi Guys,

Anyone have any results to report concerning natural comb drawn out in a standard deep frame? Do the bees construct a natural broodnest structure that ignores frame boundaries? Or do frames split the broodnest structure up?

I've been doing some natural comb measurements to determine the amount of cell size taper.

My calculations indicate that for a deep frame comb, at 8 1/2 inches high, only about 3 inches max, along the bottom, would be small cell size.

A medium frame would have about 1" max.

Regards
Dennis

[Robert Latta]

Dennis,
I have 2 hives that (minus the starting nuc frames) were all drawn out from starter strips. If you tell me what you would like measured, I would be happy to next time I inspect.

[Darrel Wright]

Hey Dennis, I have a foundationless standard deep being used as a broodnest, and I can say that while there is a taper it doesn't look as pronounced as it does in pictures from TBHs. I haven't done the measurements. The nest is the bottom box, so I don't know if the taper would cross boxes. But this very fact has prompted me to try a new super deep (22") and narrow (12") foundationless frame design for comparison. But my table saw pooped out half way through so that has been delayed. I'll get pictures going when that one is up and running.