Hello
Im starting beekeeping this year and i read a lot about the possible benefits of going foundationless. But i was wondering if foundation less comb travels as good as whit foundation as in what happens if you hit a bump in the road while the hive is in the trunk or trailer. Will the comb break out of the frame or is it something not to worry about?
As Oldtimer states , if the frames are wired (crosswired that is) and foundationless you don't have much to worry with once the bees draw them out, however if you don't wire your frames you could end up with a real mess. This again is dependant upon bees being in the hive. They warm up the inside of the hive and make the wax less stable if it is new wax. Once the wax ages a bit through a few cycles of brood rearing it becomes more stable even under the warmth of the bees.
Once they've attached to the frame sides and bottom, your pretty good to travel unless your really rough with them. I move my TBHs and have not dropped any combs off the top bar. I do keep the bars tight and the hive stable if I have to move them over the road.
>But i was wondering if foundation less comb travels as good as whit foundation as in what happens if you hit a bump in the road while the hive is in the trunk or trailer. Will the comb break out of the frame or is it something not to worry about?
I've moved hives with duracomb in them (a poor man's Duragilt) which is foundation with a plastic core and had them fall out on a hot day on a bumpy road. New heavy comb is prone to problems on a hot day on a bumpy road... with or without foundation...
I move foundationless hives from time to time and have never had an issue. I try not to move them when it's over 90 F out... move them at night when it has cooled down...
We moved some foundationless hives with no wiring a couple hundred miles no problem. We worried about it with every bump and turn, but no problems. This was all cured comb, not new comb on a warm day.
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