# Small-Cell Foundation



## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

A couple of weeks ago I gave 2 of my deep - 5 frame nucs, each a medium frame of small-cell all-wax foundation with 4 wires. I was just examining their progress with these combs; they quickly drew the foundation into combs, they are all small-cell, but they only completed the comb - to depth, the bottom 2/3 of the frame. The comb above this is hardly any deeper than the original foundation. The bottom 2/3 is now all sealed brood. Most curious is that the queen has just now decided to lay eggs in all the incomplete cells. I am expecting this will inspire the workers to complete the remainder of the comb as the eggs hatch. We will see.

I still keep a few frames with the large-cell foundation -- it is fascinating to compare small-cell brood with the large-cell, what a difference.


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

You put medium frames in a deep box? My experience doing this is that they draw drone comb under the frame- is that what they did in your case? I know one "organic" beekeeper that uses all mediums in his deep boxes and routinely culls the drone comb on the bottom for mite control. He's not on small cell.

And you're saying they only drew the bottom 2/3 of the medium foundation?

George-


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

Actually, since I currently only have 4 - 5-frame nucs that are deep frame size and one long TBH/combination that is deep frame size I have many medium frames in both, that the bees built additional comb beneath to complete the space --- most continue to be predominantly small-cell, and a few have about 1/3 drone comb, odd though the bees frequently fill the larger, drone cells with pollen or honey before the queen manages to lay in them.



> And you're saying they only drew the bottom 2/3 of the medium foundation?


More precisely: They initially drew the bottom 2/3 of the small-cell foundation in the medium frame in a deep frame nuc. They have now completed the upper 1/3 as well.

[ October 07, 2005, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: Joseph Clemens ]


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## Irsqu911 (Nov 14, 2005)

Where besides Dadant can someone purchase the small cell foundation? 

I will be starting my first 3 hives in the spring as well as 2 nucs in case of swarming. I will not be using any chemicals in the prevention of disease or parasites, so natural resistance will be paramont. 
I want to use the small cell foundation but am finding it's a little more expensive then regular foundation and would like to shop around a little. 
Last, 2 of the 3 hives will be open bottemed, other then the articles written at this website I cannot find much information on these hives
My hives will be 24 inches off ground on "stilts" with an empty deep on the bottem for draft resistance then the two brood deeps with the small cell foundation.
Honey production will not be paramont. Hardy, minimal care bees is the priorty at this point

[ November 15, 2005, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: Irsqu911 ]


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Brushy Mt has it. But they just buy it from Dadant. Fatbeeman, on here, has been making his own and may have some for sale.

The simplest and cheapest solution is just feed empty frames (NO foundation) between drawn brood combs, tightly spaced, in the spring to get good swarm control and natural sized cells. If you get a frame of drone brood, move it to the outsides of the brood nest. Once the bees get that out of their system they draw very nice worker comb.


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