Can I use small cell comb?

[oldforte]

Have ordered packages of standard bees....and I have lots of small cell comb....can I start them out with the small comb?

[Gino45]

Have ordered packages of standard bees....and I have lots of small cell comb....can I start them out with the small comb?

If you are talking about beeswax foundation, the answer is yes; however, the bees may alter to cell structure to their liking.

[Oldtimer]

Assuming it's drawn comb not foundation, you can put them straight onto it they will be fine.

EDIT - After posting I saw Gino's post and the two posts are confusing. But yes, you can put them on foundation also, just, as per Gino, they probably won't draw it into small cells. But already drawn foundation will be OK, specially if it's had some brood in it so there is cocoons.

[Rader Sidetrack]

You may get lots of different answers to your question, and possibly answers to questions you didn't ask!

Here's Michael Bush's opinion:

If you want to get back to natural or small cell size, it is NEVER to your advantage to use the already too large foundation they are already using. That is simply going nowhere at all. With a package, if you do so, you will have missed the opportunity to get a full step of regression. Dee Lusby's method is to do shakedowns (shake all the bees off of all the combs) onto 4.9mm foundation and then another shakedown onto 4.9mm to finish the main regression and then cull out the large comb until they have all 4.9mm in the brood nest.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm

[Ravenseye]

Drawn cell comb will be fine. They'll work to the "norm".

[Michael Bush]

>Have ordered packages of standard bees....and I have lots of small cell comb....can I start them out with the small comb?

You will have small cell bees in 6 weeks. It is exactly what I do when I have small cell comb to give them.