Good frames/bad frames??

[oregonsparkie]

Last year I bought a bunch of used deep boxes with plastic foundation. I got rid of what was questionable and scraped off most of the wax from the plastic. Will the bees accept the scraped plastic foundation or not??

Im getting several hives ready for some packages and split within the next 3 weeks. If the bees wont accept the plastic as is I will get rid of it and use wax foundation instead.

[Michael Bush]

>Will the bees accept the scraped plastic foundation or not??

Probably they will accept it fine. Different bees sometimes get different ideas though. If they don't, I'd melt some beeswax and paint it on with a paint brush, or dip it.

[oregonsparkie]

Will they accept the it as good as wax foundation??

I want to get the new hives of to a start without any hinderances.

[Michael Bush]

Usually once the plastic has been used they accept it better than new plastic, even if the wax is all gone off it it now. As well as wax? If you put wax and plastic next to each other, probably not. Bees always prefer wax, but I don't think it will slow them down any. The only thing they like better than wax is enough room to build their own comb without any foundation. smile.gif

[oregonsparkie]

I wasnt going to mix plastic and wax but I do have about 200 frames of plastic that I scraped off.

I want to try starter strips but have been a big chicken to try.

[Curry]

Scrapping plastic frames is a pain, oregon... try letting the wax moths do the work for you next time. Granted, you have to wait a few months for them to do their work... but the older the comb, the faster they'll get it done. And when they're finished, the frames will be hard to distinguish from new. Keep the frames enclosed in a deep with a small opening- wax moths don't like frames open to the air and light as much. In fact, I keep all my good comb aired out and rained on- keeps better.

[Michael Bush]

If you want to try starter strips, try this. When you have some nice drawn capped comb just put an empty frame between the two and let them draw it. You'll be surprised how nice it comes out.

[oregonsparkie]

Thanks Michael, Ill give that a try. Wax foundation is expensive to me.

[RaytownDave]

Curry,

I thought wax moths were bad news???

[Curry]

skimedickc,

No, no, no,... wax moths are the best thing since sliced bread. I don't know what I'd do without them! I have no idea how you would clean off plastic frames without 'em. I keep "wax moth hives", just for them- I just rotate old frames through those hives. Many people erroneously think wax moths can hurt a hive, but that's not true. Unless a hive has been weakened by a failing queen, varroa, etc., the bees won't let wax moths take a good foothold in the hive. And wax moths don't even like wax anyway... they prefer old brood comb that has many layers of cocoons. They snub their noses at my frames of freshly drawn wax.

[Joel]

Skimedic, don't listen to Curry he's been in the moonshine! His points may be (comic relief) accurate but wax moths will do more damage in an equipment yard in a month than you can imagine! They leave feces, webbing and damaged frames everywhere they go. After you scrape a couple hundred cacoons off wooden ware and smell like a french whorehouse you'll better understand. Don't provide a breeding ground for pest that will become other peoples problems. They can attack weak hives which at sometime everyone has. The condition is called galleriasas (yep I know guys I butchered the spelling, it's late). The only good wax moth is a dead wax moth.

[Michael Bush]

You can sell wax moths "worms" as bait for quite a bit.

[fhafer]

I feed wax moths Certan (B401)!

[hrogers]

Howdy All --

Let's hope we are not talking about Duragilt.!
Doc

[Curry]

"They leave feces, webbing and damaged frames everywhere they go."

... ah, yes, damaged frames if you don't have all-plastic frames. But you're comparing your VCR to my DVD and Tivo. Pierco frames are unfazed by my fish-bait producing friends, as are my strong colonies.

And it don't matter if you produce a farm of wax moths, or kill every one you see... enclose a box of old brood in your garage, and just see if moths don't find it. And it's their feces and webbing that just shakes right off... just like you would shake off bees. But ya, don't put a DVD in your VCR (wood frames, Duragilt)... the technology just isn't there.