# Start OH on foundation or with established comb/brood?



## Annabee (Jul 25, 2013)

Anyone have any ideas? 

I'm getting a little nervous since I am really not sure what to do .. and they could be here as early as tomorrow apparently, but more likely Fri or Sat ... thanks in advance .. impatient me wants to just have them start in the OH, but I don't want to make a mistake ...


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

I'll take a stab at getting you an answer here. 

Whether or not you use RiteCell or go Foundationless is a personal choice to begin with. The bees can make very beautiful comb in either case. IF you plan to watch them allot, you actually may want them to draw it on their own. 

Using RiteCell foundation will keep the combs strong from the very start, but if you allow them to do it all the combs will be a little more fragile to begin with.

Starting your bees in a standard hive v/s in the OH to begin with.

Basically in my opinion it would be less stressful on the bees if your intentions is to have them in the OH permanently to put them there in the beginning.

I hope this helps you some..


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## Annabee (Jul 25, 2013)

That really does help, I appreciate the advice .... I really do want to do this right but boy am I excited to have them in this OH so I can watch them! 

I'm going to use a bit of LGO on the outside to try to make it more appealing to them to stay in !


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Most ideas have their pros and cons. If you put in a frame of brood, a frame of honey and shake in a lot of extra bees (twice what you want to make up for drift) they will raise a queen and you get to watch. They will dwindle quite a bit on the way so you may want to give them another frame of brood with adhering bees about 10 days after you set it up to keep them going.


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## Annabee (Jul 25, 2013)

Thanks MB, I appreciate the insight on that!

I was kind of toying with that idea, honestly ...there's also a lot to be said for the comb already being drawn, as far as not getting too much burr when they draw it in the OH --- having it already drawn might go a long ways to combating that. Plus them raising their own queen is something I've always wanted to see!

Might make myself be patient and do it this way!


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## cdevier (Jul 17, 2010)

I usually transfer a frame of brood and bees , with or without a queen into my ob, hive. I also will have one or more frames in the ob. hive that are foundationless. It is very educational to have the bees make a queen and fill in the empty frames.
Charlie


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

I would expect that a package installed directly into an OH without any comb or brood would be likely to abscond. I would probably put them in a nuc with the entrance as close as possible to where the OH entrance will be. When you transfer them they will find the new hole if you competely remove the old box. Too late now I guess. What did you do?


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