Quote Originally Posted by mbc View Post
Not according to the bees, given the choice they prefer to rework old comb than building fresh, time after time if given the option we all know what they choose.
Shouldnt we be listening to them?
I think the problem is that bees are opportunists. They'll happily choose an infected comb over clean foundation because it's a means to an end, a way of securing their immediate future. This isn't necessarily a good thing.

Of course, the issue is how to get as much benefit as possible from new comb without stressing the bees by repeated short term knockbacks. Some hives are probably better than others in this regard; our 'one size box' hives are easily migrated onto regular new comb as a normal part of their management while the dadant deeps are more troublesome in the sense that they require more actual work and a higher level of judgement and even then we've only actually shifted a handful of the combs out of any one box.

Anyway, we all do things differently to a greater or lesser degree, in the past I was a big believer in keeping old comb to the point where I was probably a little uncharitable to those who made an effort to keep a regular rotation going. It's definitely a multifaceted debate which can be argued with strength from either perspective but for myself I'm now happy to push the bees towards new comb.