[Clulay21]

I am a second year beekeeper I have no body to show me the ropes so everything ur learned so far has been on my own. I've only used rite cell plastic foundation. I've never used wax. I would like to try it because everyone seems to talk about how much faster it gets drawn out and how the bees take to it very quickly. I'm planning on supering hives and was wondering what style frames and foundation I need. I've looked up some info but I don't understand wired with or without hooks. Or wiring it in in general. My understanding was u used wire wen u went foundationless Could someone please explain all the frames and foundations and what it takes to put these foundations in a frame. Thank you very much.

 

[Erik]

I am a second year beekeeper I have no body to show me the ropes so everything ur learned so far has been on my own. I've only used rite cell plastic foundation. I've never used wax.

I've had poor luck getting bees to use/draw plastic foundation. They've show more interest in foundation or drawing their own free-form foundationless where I've left too much space in the hive.

I'm planning on supering hives and was wondering what style frames and foundation I need.

Depends on what you're wanting to do. Easiest may be crush and strain/slice off most of the cell depth down to almost the foundation and crush/strain that preserving the center core of the frame. I would suggest using the same depth of hive body you already have. So if you have deeps get deeps for supering.

I don't understand wired with or without hooks. Or wiring it in in general.

Wiring at its most basic is just strengthening the comb, usually so it can survive rough treatment in an extractor. I wire foundation because I live in a very windy part of the country and I can't handle frames with new foundation because it'll blow out of the frame before I can lift it up and put it into a hive. Wiring is not necessary for foundation-less comb. I've generally found new comb that's never had bees hatched out of it is relatively soft and easy to crush/strain. If the comb has had brood hatched out it'll have a lot more strength but that also makes it harder to crust/strain because the hatching brood leave tough cocoons behind.

Foundation with wire included that I've tried has the hooks, which just means about 1/2" of wire is left past the wax on one side and bent at about a 90 degree angle. If you're using wedge frames where you break off a piece of the top bar you can lay the foundation in with the "hook" in the place where you removed the wood wedge and when you nail the wood wedge back onto the top bar it'll have that extra wire to hang on to. That doesn't help me because the winds in my area still blow the bottom of the foundation out of the bottom. I've recently bought bare wire from the bee supply company and used it to cross-wire horizontally across my frames of foundation. I applied about 5 seconds of power from a car battery charger which heated the wires just enough for the wax immediately next to the wire to gently melt around the wire, firmly embedding the wire in the wax. This has made for a very strong frame of foundation that's held up to my local windy conditions.

Could someone please explain all the frames and foundations and what it takes to put these foundations in a frame.

I found YouTube helpful in the different methods of wiring foundation, using crimpers to tighten the wire up, and either using embedding rollers or an electrical current to embed the wire in the wax.

 

[Davacoles]

I started out with wax foundation, but have moved to foundationless. It works well for me, it costs less (you are not buying anything), with only a little guidance the bees draw the comb "correct" on the frame, and there are other theoretical advantages (natural cell size, able to cycle out wax easily to avoid pesticide & other build up, etc). I use all mediums and I don't wire. However, I am crush and straining right now, but others I know use an extractor (without wiring) on mediums without issue. There are many resources on foundationless frames, but the easiest thing to do is take the wedge bar, turn it sideways, and secure it in place. I glue it and then secure it with staples for drying. You'll find many arguments for/against going foundationless, but for me it simply makes sense fiscally and logically (let the bees do what they do).>>Don

 

[loghousebees]

I just started beekeeping this year with Warre hives which are by definition foundationless. My bees are drawing out beautiful comb and are actually outproducing a Langstroth hive a friend of mine gave me as a start. I figured the bees have been doing this in the wild for thousands of years, maybe if we quit "helping" them they might not have all the problems we have helped them into like Colony Collapse, Varroa mites, Deformed wing virus, etc.

 

[WBVC]

I have Langs...just started last year. Have used unsupported foundation less, vertically wired wax and plastic.

Personally I prefer plastic...easy to make up, not fragile, bees pull it out fine, extracts well. Downside is not as easy for cutting out Queen cells. All my honey supers are plastic.

Most wonky comb is foundation less.

On hives with different choices the Queen cells seem to always be built on plastic foundation comb!

 

[drlonzo]

I feel your pain WBVC.. One of the many reasons that i'm switching out my brood area with foundationless is due to not being able to cut a queen cell when i want to. I've had many that i could have made extra NUC's with this year and lost due to having mutiples on ritecell .. lol.. So now i'm going to phase out the plastic from the brood area and into the honey area instead..