frames and foundation cost up 40%

[celad]

oh dear was looking to buy new frames and foundation from my devon local supplier... all prices up from the catalogue and frames up 40%.
seems there is a shortage of foundation with prices up considerably from last year.
we have not increased honey from the door for several years as £5 was a convenient price but it will need to go up if the equipment prices are +40%
£7 - £7.50 a pound jar.?? wife has just come in from the garden..a dam swarm......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Time to go foundation free. I’m making a determined effort to swap all the colonies over rather than just some

 

[madasafish]

Going to try DIY foundation making.
Decided over winter - this increase was predicted on forum,

 

[Finman]

Time to go foundation free.

That is the most expencive honey production.

- Save wax, and do not burn them in candles.
- cook old frames in lye. Use them several times.
- use thick steal wires.

- cook frames in a gang. Everyone does not need own boiling apparatuses

 

[Finman]

Going to try DIY foundation making.
Decided over winter - this increase was predicted on forum,

When you give your own wax to the foundation maker, in Finland the sheet printing is 3,50 €/kg. Kg has 10 foundations.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That is the most expencive honey production.

That’s true but for a hobby beekeeper it likely doesn’t matter?
How many hives have you got
@celad ?

There’s always wax exchange

 

[Finman]

In Finland price of wooden frame sticks have risen 20%.

 

[Wingy]

So glad I invested in a few hundred plastic foundation sheets. Scrape off, scrub, re use

 

[Antipodes]

oh dear was looking to buy new frames and foundation from my devon local supplier... all prices up from the catalogue and frames up 40%.
seems there is a shortage of foundation with prices up considerably from last year.
we have not increased honey from the door for several years as £5 was a convenient price but it will need to go up if the equipment prices are +40%
£7 - £7.50 a pound jar.?? wife has just come in from the garden..a dam swarm......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Handy to have a swarm spotter!

Easy enough to miss as they are not in the air long and then are quiet once settled

 

[Somerford]

So glad I invested in a few hundred plastic foundation sheets. Scrape off, scrub, re use

do you paint molten wax on them to help the bees take to them ?

S

 

[SWHives]

do you paint molten wax on them to help the bees take to them ?

S

Not needed. I just rubbed solid wax to the plastic foundation and the bees building these out just fine. Also, you could spray some sugar syrup on the plastic, should work just as well.

 

[bcup]

3d printed sheets ??

 

[pargyle]

3d printed sheets ??

Probably more expensive than buying plastic foundation ... and incredibly time consuming to print ,,, better off going foundationless ! Less faff ....

 

[Dodge]

3d printed sheets ??

I am only guessing but if they where to be used for super frames would the plastic need to be food grade certified?

 

[Wingy]

do you paint molten wax on them to help the bees take to them ?

Yes I do now, have had mixed experience over 3 years of using it. 1st year bought pre waxed plastic foundation just placed it in the hive and no issues. 2nd year had a few that completely rejected it, building their own comb in between frames, it was a mess. 3rd year brushed molten wax on to the foundation and had 100% acceptance. So that’s the way forward for me now

 

[LeaBees]

Time to go foundation free. I’m making a determined effort to swap all the colonies over rather than just some

How do you control the drone cell production? Most of the foundationless frames I’ve used have come out predominantly drone sized.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

So glad I invested in a few hundred plastic foundation sheets. Scrape off, scrub, re use

easily drawn in your experience?

 

[Wingy]

If you see my reply above over a 3 year experience once brushed with molten wax have had no issues, even alongside normal wax foundation

 

[pargyle]

How do you control the drone cell production? Most of the foundationless frames I’ve used have come out predominantly drone sized.

I don't attempt to control drone cells ... if they want drones they will build drone cells ... usually up to about 20% of the brood in my foundationless frames are drones. Perhaps that's what your bees wanted and you gave them the opportunity ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

How do you control the drone cell production? Most of the foundationless frames I’ve used have come out predominantly drone sized.

You don’t. You let the bees raise as many as they want. It takes a bit of getting used to.