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not do spring-cleaning and the frames are soon stuck to each other and to the inner surfaces of the
hive. So why use frames?
In any case, as with all frames, the Dadant frame requires a finely planed finish to facilitate its
cleaning at the spring visit. In addition, it demands a high degree of precision in manufacture. It is
necessary to leave a space of 7.5 mm between the inside walls of the hive and the frames, and to keep
it like this. If the space falls to 5 mm the bees fill it with propolis. If the space is 10 mm the bees
construct comb in it, because they abhor empty space. In both cases the frames cease to be mobile.
The required precision increases the capital cost of the hive.
Furthermore, the Dadant hive has a long, shallow frame shape. Eighteen kilos of honey distributed
between 12 frames hardly provides one kilo for the frames at the middle. There will even be honey
only in the corners and none at the centre. The wintering bees cluster on the honey at the corners, at
the front or rear of the hive, on the sunny side. When they have consumed all the honey above their
cluster, they move to the other extremity of the frame where there is still some honey. But if the
temperature is low, they will not be able to make this move because they will not find in the middle of
the frames the necessary provisions to make the journey. They will die of hunger where they are, yet
with stores nearby. This is a big disadvantage of hives with frames that are shallow and long.
Finally, the frame considerably increases the hive volume. We have already indicated the
disadvantage of this.
Wax foundation
Wax foundation used in the Dadant hive is expensive. The accessories that it requires are
expensive. Inserting this foundation is fiddly and takes time. Foundation is thus a considerable
consumer of time and money and increases the capital cost of the hive, and as a result, the honey.
But outside the nectar flow, foundation brings very minimal return, it economises only a very
small amount on honey, and still less on time, for the bees do not always leave the cells in the state in
which they have been given to them.
During the nectar flow, the only time when the comb can be drawn, foundation is more harmful
than useful. The wax is nothing other than the sweat of the bee. And during the nectar flow, bees sweat
a lot, because they always put the most effort into their work. Foundation is thus useless at this time,
and even harmful as it prevents bees from constructing their comb vertically and evenly.
The frame, fitted with foundation, immediately placed in the hive, brings about a heat
differentiation from its bottom to its top.
It follows that the various distortions of the foundation and the steel wire supporting it result in
warping in the comb. Without foundation, the bees construct their combs according to their needs,
with the best wax (their own) and with the normal thickness of a comb. They thus strengthen it as they
extend it.
This is the reason why we do not use foundation. We are satisfied with placing a starter of 5 mm
of unadulterated, raw wax.
And we do not consider this starter as a saving in honey, but as a means of encouraging the bees
to construct their combs in the same direction in order to make it easier for the beekeeper.
Populating the hive
To populate a Dadant hive a swarm of 2 kg is insufficient, still less one of 1.5 kg. It is necessary
to use a swarm of 4 kg. This is not commercially available. A swarm of 2 kg requires two years to