[buford]

thanks for responding to all of this.

i think i'm mis understanding you when you mention 8 frame. i'm currently working with normal deeps using nine frames. i'm assuming that your talking about an eight frame medium rather than a regular medium that you run with eight frames ( that the bees have drawn out).

thanks again. i'll proably come back with more quesions about small cell.

here's one. what exactly do i need to be aware of concerning "regression".

 

[buford]

here is something i don't undserdstand.

you mention putting in frames with no foundation or "getting the size down". this may seem like a dumb question, but is small cell simply the natural size cell the bees make on there own?

if permacomb is the wrong size, how do you get it down to the RIGHT size?

i've seen small cell foundation for sale in the catalogs, but i thought you were sort of "forcing" the bees to work with a different size.

there is a LOT i need to learn about this before i even think of trying it.

much help, instruction, or good links would be greatly apreciated.

thanks

 

[buford]

hello again,

if i don't shave the frames down (keeping ten frames a hive) will i have as much success at getting small cell as i would if i shaved the frames?

can i do this without any starter strips?

when is the best time to start the process and how many empty frames can i put in at once (i'm assuming that i can't put to empty frames back to back of eachother)?

thanks for all your help thus far.

 

[buford]

thanks again.

here's a couple more questions. the first one i know you've answered somewhere before, but i can't readily find it.

1) if this is as easy as it sounds, then why do some bee catalogs discourage amatures from trying it?

2) if small cell is really this effective against mites, then why didn't more ferral colonies survive (since it's the size they like to build anyway)?

 

[buford]

one more thing,

how can i tell if they built small cell? i can't very well eyeball it. i guess i'd have to actually measure it, right?

 

[buford]

thanks again.

i hope to try this in the spring.

 

[buford]

here is yet another question.

murphy mentioned earlier on this topic, that he simply uses balsa strips rather than a full frame.

are there problems with this (bees conecting the deeps together, or the frames being flimsy with no other support than a balsa strip)?