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To get foundations to build has no difficulties
if you put foundations into the hive during heavy nectar flow.
Bees build combs in few days and fill cells with nectar.
Bees do not build empty combs for the future or for they happiness.When nectar flow ceases, bees stop their comb building. That is natural system and I use it. I have so much combs that I do not force them build combs in early spring or before autumn. In early summer comb building prevent swarming, but if bees do not build, it is Ok to me.
I use partly drawn foundation on sides of hive during winter. In ealy summer I wait that bees start to draw those combs before I offer them new foundations. Many beekeepers think that bees must draw combs because beekeeper wants it happen. Why?
When you feed wintersyrup, bees do not cap combs if they are not full. That is their natural system. They do nothing for fun except sting me.
I have not met any difficulties in combs building. If I forget frame from the hive, on next visit I will meet free comb there, and mostly drone combs. If they have not food flow, I meet an empty gap.
This is an ultimate example:I moved my 3 best hives to the fireweed pastures. Pasture was inside half mile distance, 20 hehtares tall fireweed. Nectar runned down from flowers after night.
In picture you see a hive, where I put 3 boxes foundations because i have not drawn combs.
In 3 weeks each hive brought 240 lbs capped honey and drawed those 3 boxes too.3 miles away I had 4 hives beside 30 hehtares rape. It was dry hot weather and sandy soil. Rape did not exrecet nectar musch. Bees got 1/5 of yield compared to the fireweed pastures and they build partly half a box foundations.
If it had rained well, things woud be in another way but it did not rained.
What then. Nothing. That is beekeeping and I don't see any difficulties in this issue. I do not take headace from that. Next year will come.
Look the hive on the carry. It is full of bees 7 boxes. (Year 2005)
This summer was rainy and same pasture gived very small yield. Perhaps 80 lbs per hive.
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