Foundation Free Frames

[bjosephd]

Indeed. The amount of time that would save is huge if you think about it, especially with wooden permanent strips. No fiddling every year... i hate making up frames, and wiring frames, nailing wooden strips in against foundation and inserting foundation for me is like pulling teeth!

If I pay myself a minimum of £10 an hour, add the cost of foundation, then foundation'd frames for me is an expensive exercise.

I am yet to extract more than a couple frames of honey though, or use a big centrifuge extractor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[wightbees]

I only use them wireless in brood wouldn't in supers unless cut

 

[pargyle]

I only use them wireless in brood wouldn't in supers unless cut

It works OK in an extractor - but you need to have frames that are fully filled out and ideally not fresh wax - second year frames are much more up to being spun. I've spun all of mine in my tangential extractor and not had much in the way of breakage - you do have to be a bit gentle getting them up to speed but it's not something I worry about. If a few bits of comb come off the bees will repair them.

 

[mintmoth]

I was impressed with your bamboo skewer idea, LJ, so I've made up a dozen or so frames already.

I already have some foundationless frames in one hive, but being a novice I worry about mishandling them and having the comb drop out. The skewer supports will give me more confidence to go completely foundationless.