[m100]

Could someone please explain how a comb, comprised of hexagonal cells can be arranged such that the central comb, with inverted Y's on BOTH SIDES of the comb can be constructed?

As the Y or inverted Y is a product of the cell alignment on the reverse side of the comb then geometrically it appears an impossible construction.

I am aware of the many references online, such as the one below, but they gloss over this aspect completely.

http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/ed-dee-lusby/more-on-small-cell-foundation-for-mite-control/housel-positioning-how-i-view-its-importance-to-beekeeping/

IF it is possible, then could someone draw the hexagonal arrangement of the two sides of the comb in different coloured ink, scan it and post it somewhere where this seemingly geometrical impossibility can be viewed by all?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Ta Da ---->

For Housel Positioning the center comb will look like this on both sides:

The yellow areas are the cell walls on the side you are viewing, the darker colored areas, in this illustration are what you see with back lighting, the base of three adjacent cell walls from the opposite side. Notice how they appear the same no matter which side of the comb you are viewing. Housel positioned combs, adjacent to this, "center comb" are oriented so their opposite sides are oriented opposite their compliment, this is not so with the center comb.

 

[odfrank]

I kept bees very successfully for over 35 years before Housel positioning even became discussed. When I attempted it, I became convinced that it is impracticable to maintain through the process of extracting, making divides, making nucs, re-queening etc. without spending an inordinate amount of time sorting combs. I feel that it is just another Internet fueled fantasy.

 

[BEES4U]

:thumbsup:Great diagram and explanation!
An open mind is a gift!
Thanks,
Ernie

 

[peacekeeperapiaries]

JC, very nice :thumbsup: We use housel positioning, we also kept bees for many years before it ever popped up on the radar. Now as we put foundation in frames we mark the top of the frame with a permanent marker indicating the "in side/towards center" of the frame. Not sure whether it helps or not but as my dad says "happy bees are productive bees, lets try to make them happier" . Marking as we put foundation in takes very little time. Have great day

 

[Michael Bush]

Take a sheet of foundation and hold it the normal way and flip it around to see them reverse (not primary comb). Then turn it 90 degrees so it's vertical instead of horizontal and flip it to see them not reverse.

I do a lot of natural comb and while I see the primary comb this way most of the time, I can't find a pattern to the rest of them at all...