The Townsend Bee Book 27 
THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH BEES BUILD STRAIGHT 
WORKER COMB FROM STARTERS 
Although we use and recommend full sheets of foundation in 
wired frames, it may be well to consider how and when one can 
get along with starters only in brood-frames, as some may not 
want to use full sheets. 
Bees build two sizes of cells in their comb-building. The 
larger size run about four to the inch, and are used for rearing 
drones and sometimes for storing honey. The smaller cells run 
about five to the inch, and are used for rearing workers and for 
storage. The beekeeper should strive to get all-worker combs 
built; for, in spite of all the care that can be taken, more than 
enough drone comb usually appears. Of course, in case of an 
extra-fine colony that one desires to breed from, a solid drone 
comb can be given in order that there may be plenty of drones 
of this desirable stock in the yard. 
It is a fact that bees under certain conditions build almost all 
worker comb; and it is also true that, under other conditions, a 
great deal of undesirable drone comb is built. For instance, a new 
medium-sized swarm, placed in a hive of a size that may be filled 
with combs and brood in about 23 days or less, ought to build 
worker comb mainly, although some of the last combs built may 
contain a few drone-cells. The secret seems to be in having just 
the right number of workers and just the right amount of honey 
coming in, so that the bees will draw out the combs no faster than 
the queen can occupy them with brood. As long as this condition 
lasts we should expect the bees to build worker combs. From this 
we see that, in order to get good results in comb-building from 
a natural swarm, this swarm should be of just the right size, and 
there should be a honey-flow of, say, three or four pounds a day. 
We will suppose a large swarm is hived during a period when 
honey is coming in freely. At this time there is too much honey 
coming in for the best results in comb-building in the brood-nest, 
if the whole force of workers is compelled to do all their work in 
the brood-nest. The remedy is to put most of the workers at work 
in the supers. Most beginners fail in doing this; but the principle 
is to make the surplus receptacles more inviting to the workers 
than the brood-nest, and the bees will immediately go up into the 
supers on being hived. Our comb-honey super with extracting- 
combs at the sides makes an ideal arrangement for this very thing. 
It is plain to see that, if most of the honey being carried in is 
placed in sections, where it should be, the queen will not be 
