What's your opinion on honey super cell?

[sammyjay]

Hi, I was wondering what your thoughts were on honey super cell?


Nathan

[Michael Bush]

Cons:
Heavy
Expensive
Sets them back two weeks getting them to accept it.

Pros:
Durable (will last virtually forever, can be eaten by wax moths etc.)
Already drawn and 4.9mm, so they can't draw it the wrong size.

Limit them to no where else to expand and after two weeks of balking they will use it and after that they will treat it as any drawn comb.

[sammyjay]

Thanks for your reply.

[Oldbee]

"Durable (will last virtually forever, can be eaten by wax moths etc.)"

Just to be sure, didn't you mean can not be eaten by wax moths?

Would they [and queen] more readily accept HSC if some drone foundation, or a place for them to satisfy their desire to raise drone brood is provided? This drone brood would be monitored and cut out of course. I have not used HSC.

[Michael Bush]

Yes, "cannot". Sorry. The reason for the delay in acceptance is the plastic. PermaComb is the same material and I have used it wax dipped (heated to 200 F, dipped in 200 F wax and the excess shaken off). When it is wax dipped it is accepted like any drawn comb without any hesitation whatsoever. Drones are a different issue. I don't monitor drone comb, I don't cut it out and I don't cull it. I let them have all they want with foundationless frames.

[French Lick Apiaries]

Limit them to no where else to expand and after two weeks of balking they will use it and after that they will treat it as any drawn comb.

Since the comb is already drawn, so to speak, is there any need to feed during this two weeks?

[Michael Bush]

Anything that forces them to need the space will help. Feeding will help force them to use it.

[johnpfaff]

Honey super cell saved my first hives last year. The bees refused to draw on plastic foundation, even with an extra coating of wax. The original nuc frames were welded into one solid mass and the bees were building swarm cells. I seperated the original combs and scraped them down to a reasonable size, coated supercell frames with wax and gradually replaced all original frames. With the supercell, the bees filled three deeps and would have filled a fourth deep had I given it to them. I firmly believe supercell has a place in the brood nest, if not for wider applications.

[jmgi]

Just curious if those who have used HSC 4.9 cell size in the broodnest have noticed any decrease in mite activity as compared to normal cell size hives? Or is the only benefit of HSC is that it is already drawn and can last forever? John

[johnpfaff]

With HSC the bees do not need to draw comb. I have not used chemicals in my hives yet. By splitting and making nucs from second year hives, my hope is that this will continue. I keep my fingers crossed.

[bev]

Is there anywhere to buy the honey super cell in canada?

[jwbee]

I have heard there is or was a black supercell for honey production , 6 1/4" x 6.0 mm.

Was wondering if anyone has heard of or used it , and if so how you would go about uncapping it , heat gun?

[Michael Bush]

>I have heard there is or was a black supercell for honey production , 6 1/4" x 6.0 mm.

The company, Honey Super Cell, makes a one piece frame/foundaion like that with a fake egg in the bottom.

>Was wondering if anyone has heard of or used it , and if so how you would go about uncapping it , heat gun?

It is not fully drawn, so you would uncap the usual ways. If you want to uncap the fully drawn honey super cell, use a Hackler Honey Punch or one of the copies of it.