# green drone comb frames for medium boxes?



## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

You could use a hack saw, and cut it down yourself...

TP


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

Hacksaw would drive you crazy, trust me been doing plumbing this morning  No matter how hard you try the cut will not be straight.
I have heard a table saw set to the right width would work. That is what I would do. 

Mike


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## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

run them through your table saw - cuts them nice and fast there doesnt need to be a bottom bar on then since they are 100% plastic 

good luck to your hives - remember to put the green frames 14 days after the queen lays in them - or you might have more mites then bees !!!!


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## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

what would be the harm in letting bees draw deep drone foundation in 2 medium bodies. They will just draw out the plastic foundation and where it ends, they will go down on their own until they reach critical bee space. So basically you'll have 1.5 deep drone foundation spanning two medium bodies. No cutting required. Just thinking inside the black box.


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## beeme13 (Feb 21, 2011)

nice idea aramf! i'll let you know how it works this spring.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

If you use foundation you can also put a shallow frame in your medium box and they will (usually) build a layer of foundationless drone on the bottom of the frame - then you can just peel it off with your hive tool. Wastes a little bit of comb, but if you don't have drone frames...


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Our green drone frame came with warped foundation. Being new, didn't know what bees do with that! :ws Or is that something that can't be avoided?
We used an edge guide and cut the bottom part off with a scroll saw.


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## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

I also have medium frames. I am making my own using Randy Oliver's design.
Here is a page of information - you will find photos of his design near the bottom of the article. These fit, are fast, and I already have all I need to make up a couple
here's the page: http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=40


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## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

beeme13 said:


> hey all,
> 
> as some of you may know, pierco makes a green drone comb frame for deep boxes to help with varroa control. http://www.pierco.net/products_dronecomb.htm
> 
> ...


Wow was I on the wrong train. When I first read your post I was thinking Med=honey super but I guess you are useing them as hive bodies.Use a table saw. Jim


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## beeme13 (Feb 21, 2011)

yeah, i'm doing 8-frame all mediums


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

If you cut down deep plastic drone frames, would it help to reverse the blade on the table saw to get a better cut, similar to cutting vinyl siding with the reverse blade? John


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

You can cut them down, but I wouldn't. You can put empty frames in and if there is not enough drone comb they will build it all drone. You can buy the wax drone foundation and cut it down. I'd use empty frames in the brood nest.


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## MARBIS (Jun 10, 2010)

I like Randy's design, with narrow strip, that bees use for honey storage only, and drones comb bellow, just completed 50 deeps last week with only 1 1/4" of exposed plastic. Cheaper than store bought.

http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=40


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

Putting the frame in 2 mediums would be a disaster! What happens when you want to work the bottom box? How would you set the drone comb out if there is fragile wax with tons of drones on the bottom. 
mike


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## AramF (Sep 23, 2010)

That's a fair criticism, but I am sure people can come up with a work around. One of them might be to attach a solid piece of wood to the frame bottom with critical dimensions followed so that bees do not build. Another is to sacrifice the bottom portion on continued basis and only freeze the top part. Lastly, the frame can be trimmed to medium size and then the cut-off portion can be used as a starter strip on a new medium frame. The possibilities are limited only by the resources that you have or time you are willing to sacrifice. 

I guess I do not like to do irreversible actions, therefore my bias would be to preserve the integrity of a deep frame, even if I cannot use it in the original state. I might be in the minority.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

If you are only using mediums from the get go then trim it. If you have both deep and medium put it in a deep hive. Come on, they are all of 2.50 each. 

Mike


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## WesternWilson (Jul 18, 2012)

Medium seems now to be available"
http://www.hillsidebees.com/Plastic-Beehive-Drone-Frame-p/es-004.htm


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## Solomon Parker (Dec 21, 2002)

Very nice. It does cost more though. Are they just deep frames cut down?


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

It says cut to fit in the description, so it sounds like they cut it down for you. Someone mentioned foundation, is there drone foundation available?


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

That's why they charge the extra $0.25 to pay for the labor.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Randy's frames are deeps, I've made a few & use them. For mediums I just put a foundationless frame with Popsicle stick guide in the broodnest & the bee draw it out for drone brood every time.
I tried the green frames & didn't like them at all. They all went in the garbage because there wasn't a beekeeper I disliked enough to give them to.


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