Best supplier of foundation/frames

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666bees

House Bee
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Messages
229
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Location
Staffordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3 swarms, 1 14x12 nuc, national nuc
Looking to buy some foundatiion and frames but who has the best, dont want hassle trying to put things together that wont fit.
 
Thornes for frames,KBS for foundation(Kemble-bees).
In my opinion..
 
Anyone know the going rate for 10lb block of wax in exchange for foundation. I seemed to get a rubbish deal last time
 
Get ready built ones then?

My ten years experiences

Never any hassle with either frames or foundation until this last season. I always bought only from Th*rne from the time I started, up until last year. Around 2% losses with second quality frames

This last season brood:

The frames were Th*rne seconds and losses were a little up on the normal approx 2% (usually weak lugs, but some too-large dead knots this time around).

The foundation was from K*S which fitted neither this year's frames nor last year's.

Th*rne foundation from last year fitted the Th*rne frames OK (both of previous and this years purchase as well as some third party frames of unknown origin supplied in a new hive, but new and assembled. Not sure whether I have any of the 'unknown origin' frames left to compare the two foundations, but I did try the different foundations in the same frame, as a control test.

The super foundation was perfectly OK, but the 14 x 12 was simply not square (or rectangular) enough. All foundation was stored in the same place and under similar conditions, as it has been for the past ten years.

There have been reports that some of the Th*rne winter sale foundation was out of square also.

Working your way through that carefully may allow you to draw conclusions which may seem certain or possibly less so. I have my ideas.

So no reliable method except getting read-built frames with foundation fitted, and checking them for squareness (before using, and finding the bee spaces are incorrect at different points!

Regards, RAB
 
I bought a reasonably substantial order from KBS this Spring, and can say I had no issues at all (as usual) with the fit or quality.

I moved to them from Steele and Brodie some years ago, actually some 20 years ago and have never rated Thornes offerings in the wax department apart from their candle sheets.

PH
 
frames - foundation

KBS stuff looked good from what i could see at NHS today - not sure if the bees prefer natural (or purple, pink etc etc - presume would all end up like plasticine as a brown mess in end).

Rooftops' plastic frames and foundation seem interesting but a little messy to set up.
 
I have bought from Okehampton and their foundation smells divine and fits my poorly made frames very well BB, super and even 14x12 - and the frames are poorly made because I make them...better luck next year...
 
You can buy ready made ones from Thornes for an extra cost. But surely it is not too taxing to put them together yourself- they normally fit fine and are easy to make (even for an incapable craftsman like me).


Ben P
 
Rooftops' plastic frames and foundation seem interesting but a little messy to set up.

They would be OK for you. No good for the majority in the UK, as only supplied in that 'rest of the world-wide' popular format - the Lanstroth.

Regards, RAB
 
never buy seconds when it comes to brood frames as they never seem worth the hassel, i always buy first quality, leave the secondds for people who like to play with fire wood,

wax it has to be kbs for me

frames it got last time from maisemores and kbs aswell,
 
Anyone know the going rate for 10lb block of wax in exchange for foundation. I seemed to get a rubbish deal last time

Thornes 2010/2011 catalogue (candles):
For example, if you delivered to our factory 10 lbs. of beeswax we would
provide either 40 sheets of wired BS brood foundation or 50 sheets of unwired.

This also indicates the relative saving to be had when using wired frames.

What sort of rate were you offered last time (when) Heather and how does this compare?
 
Thornes beeswax conversion where you pay a little money works out to be a better deal.....the more wax you have the cheaper the rate...but 10lb of wax plus £10.80 would get you 80 sheets of standard brood foundation..unwired...£8.40 more if you wanted wired.
 
.
UK frame prices - huge!

In Finland frame price is now 0,43 £ /piece.

When a normal hive needs about 60 frames it is £ 50.


If yiu have a few hives, self made frames are worth doing in UK.

To clean the frames in hot lye water is very good business.

Like here the price is £ 1/ piece http://www.beehivesupplies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4

.
 
Last edited:
What was it BMW executives called the UK? Treasure Island or some such?

We get ripped off Finman every which way.

Why should bees be any different.

Keep your wax and invest in a foundation mould, enormous fun to use and the bees love the end result. Club together and get it together!

PH
 

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