# 4.9, A Problem or Not?



## Christopher Petree (Mar 19, 2005)

I am working toward converting my hives to 4.9 mm foundation and am having a problem...I think. I have read a lot about the regression process from this website and anything I can find in the bee journals, but my problem is not covered (at least that I can find). I decided that I would, instead of giving the bees whole sheets, give starter strips of about 1 1/2 inches. A hive body filled with 9 frames was placed on top of several bee hives that have large populations. In the extra slot, I placed one bait frame making a total of 10 frames in the hive body. After a week, the bees started moving up into the hive body and drawing out the starter strips. On average, I have about 3 frames being drawn at this moment on each hive. Here is the problem: The bees started drawing out the foundation fine and better than I expected; however, past where the starter strips end, the bees have taken it upon themselves to build nothing but drone comb. Will they do all frames this way? Should I have done something different? Is there anyone who has had this problem?

Thanks for any information.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Whenever we have restricted their ability to build what the bees consider an adequate supply of drone cells, they will draw drone comb. Once that lack has been corrected by drawing enough they will return to drawing either honey storage cells or worker brood cells. To get good 4.9mm comb you want them drawing worker brood cells and not honey storage cells. I'd swap frames of brood in the brood nest for the starter strip frames and move the brood up one box assuming it has enough strength to handle doing this. If you remove a frame of brood and the bees quickly festoon and fill the gap then they are probably strong enough to do this.

I would leave the drone comb in but move it to the outsides. That way they can use it for drone if they really want to but it won't be in the middle of the brood nest where the queen can't avoid it.


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