>But then are you not going to be restricted to Comb Honey?
No. I extract them all the time.
> Or perhaps a crush and squeeze extraction.
No. But then if you only have a few hives I wouldn't spend good money on a new extractor. I'd crush and strain and wait for a bargin or a give away.
> No way to spin these type of frames in an extractor right?
I do all the time.
> So the bees have to keep building and rebuilding their comb. (Please excuse these newbee type questions)
Building combs is what bees do. You make it sound like torture.
>Just giving them a strip to build on doesn't seem to make sense on paper.
Compared to what? They will build from a strip more quickly than they will a full sheet of foundation. I can only speculate on the reasons but two obvious ones would be that the foundation interferes with the way they build comb. If you watch bees build natural comb they festoon and the bees on both sides of the comb work together and communicate as the build the edge of the comb. Second, they are building the cell size they want instead of some artificial one we imposed on them. This they do with far more enthusiasm.
> How can I be assured that they are going to build comb in a uniform fashion as they would with foundation making the frames easier to handle...not to mention extract.
Foundationless or foundation. Combs are never uniform. Some bees build them more uniform than others. (with or without foundation). But they don't mess up comb any more or less often with foundation or without foundation. The secret is a comb guide and proper spacing.
>It just seems that letting them do ALL the building is enough to cause a handling and extracting problem.
You have to not turn the comb sideways or extract until it's attached somewhat on all sides, but that's a training issue. You soon learn not to turn combs sideways without looking first.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htmA comb guide is simple. You buy standard wedge top bar frames. Assemble as usual. Then you break out the wedge. You rotate the wedge and nail it back in on edge so that it now leaves a protruding edge running the length of the top bar. I'd glue and nail it, but you can just nail it if you like. Done. Less work than putting in foundation.