[Kenai]

Hello Again,

I am planning on buying two singles from a guy in my local beekeeping club. My question is, the singles will have wood frames with wax foundation. I would like to use Pierco frames. My question is how to you work the wood/wax foundation out and the Pierco in. Can I just add the Pierco on top? Will they draw it out without issues? Can I add one frame at a time to the broad box until they are all changed out?

 

[dickm]

Suggest you don't mix them up. Add a full super of plastic at the same time in a honey flow or when you are feeding. The bees will use anything wax before they will touch plastic. Other than changing brood frames as part of IPM, why do you want to switch?

Dickm

 

[Kenai]

Here in Wisconsin, we normally run two deeps. Is it okay to have one with Pierco and the other with wood/wax? I assumed that I would need to go to completely one or the other. Can you mix them within a hive without problems?

 

[Curry]

Yes, you can mix them all you want... provided that they are drawn out. The only problem you might get into, is if they're both NOT drawn out- the bees will draw out the wood/wax but leave the plastic if it's right next to it. Now, if the wood/wax is drawn out, then you can alternate the undrawn plastic between drawn wood/wax, and they'll draw it out well.

It's all just a matter of getting the comb drawn out correctly.

 

[dickm]

Curry,
I did just that this year. It didn't work out. I think it would have if I didn't give them more room besides. You would have to crowd them to the point of a possible swarm if you want to mix undrawn plastic with anything else.

Dickm

 

[Michael Bush]

>Here in Wisconsin, we normally run two deeps. Is it okay to have one with Pierco and the other with wood/wax? I assumed that I would need to go to completely one or the other. Can you mix them within a hive without problems?

It's all a question of drawn vs undrawn. You can mix them all you want, but if you give them a choice of drawing wax on wood or plastic they will draw the wax out deep and ignore the plastic. Like dickm says, put a full super of plastic on in a flow and they will usually draw it fine. Once they are drawn you can mix them up all you like.

If you have nice drawn comb, whether on plastic or wax and wood, why not use it? Drawn comb is a wonderful thing to have.