Frames without foundation

[Erichalfbee]

Doesn’t newly drawn comb like that look so wonderful!

 

[deemann1]

I just turn the wedge bar on its edge of brood frames no wax no reinforcement with wires sticks ect and the bees draw it out perfectly, did this with around 150 frames last year had no issues

 

[Boston Bees]

I just turn the wedge bar on its edge of brood frames no wax no reinforcement with wires sticks ect and the bees draw it out perfectly, did this with around 150 frames last year had no issues

I used the same method

Never again

 

[deemann1]

I used the same method

Never again

Really
I must say had no issues

 

[W0otz]

I just turn the wedge bar on its edge of brood frames no wax no reinforcement with wires sticks ect and the bees draw it out perfectly, did this with around 150 frames last year had no issues

Really
I must say had no issues

You must be very careful with your brood combs then, with nothing reinforcing them they must be pretty fragile. Shallow frames you'd get away with - great for cut comb but greater risk of blowing out a frame in an extractor. Brood frames I'd reinforce though, particularly with 14x12 or other big frames.

 

[deemann1]

You must be very careful with your brood combs then, with nothing reinforcing them they must be pretty fragile. Shallow frames you'd get away with - great for cut comb but greater risk of blowing out a frame in an extractor. Brood frames I'd reinforce though, particularly with 14x12 or other big frames.

I mark them and dont take them out until a round of brood has hatched from them , sometimes i get full combs of drone comb which didn't bother me as i was doing quite a bit of queen rearing last year

 

[Finman]

Foundationless combs is very ecpencive hobby.

One langstroth box has 2 kg wax. Bees need 15 kg honey to make such amount wax. 6 boxes combs means 45 kg honey. And the value is....

It is much with your annual yields in the UK.

That I wonder, what heck idea is in the fishing line. Why cant you use steinless wires? The wire does not cost much, almost nothing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That I wonder, what heck idea is in the fishing line. Why cant you use steinless wires? The wire does not cost much, almost nothing.

It’s what I had plenty of ….. that’s the heck!

 

[Swarm]

I mark them and dont take them out until a round of brood has hatched from them , sometimes i get full combs of drone comb which didn't bother me as i was doing quite a bit of queen rearing last year

I had gorgeous comb drawn last year using frames that had the old comb cut out, I cleaned them up but didn't remove the wedge and the bees used the residue line of wax. They drew perfect, straight comb on every frame.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why cant you use steinless wires

we don't use steins in the UK - we have pint pots, it doesn't sound the same

 

[Erichalfbee]

Left to their own devices and with a good flow bees will make wonderful cut comb. I lost count of the supers I got in 2018. I ran out of foundation so had no choice. I still have lots in the freezer.

 

[Boston Bees]

Left to their own devices and with a good flow bees will make wonderful cut comb. I lost count of the supers I got in 2018. I ran out of foundation so had no choice. I still have lots in the freezer.

That's the problem with cut comb isn't it Finding someone who wants the stuff.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes it certainly is around here
I’ve given lots away.

 

[Murox]

Must be a 'locality' thing. I couldn't supply anywhere near enough comb honey (or jars) last season, the whole lot 'gone in a flash' as it were.

 

[pargyle]

Yes it certainly is around here
I’ve given lots away.

Me too ... my customers are really not interested .... I suppose it's a bit of an acquired taste ?

 

[Boston Bees]

Must be a 'locality' thing. I couldn't supply anywhere near enough comb honey (or jars) last season, the whole lot 'gone in a flash' as it were.

Well .... Scotland .... lots of strange chewy things are eaten up there

 

[JamezF]

Foundationless combs is very ecpencive hobby.

One langstroth box has 2 kg wax. Bees need 15 kg honey to make such amount wax. 6 boxes combs means 45 kg honey.

I agree there's a potential cost in honey, but surely the difference is just the weight of the foundation, not the total weight of the wax, because the bees will have to draw out the cells regardless of whether they have foundation or not? Or does one Langstroth box take 2kg of foundation?

And if they don't draw the "spine" of the comb as thick as foundation, then it's not even the weight of the foundation?

In fact, if the bees draw out more drone cells in the foundationless comb than they would with the standard foundation then there's probably another saving there, though I'd guess it's quite small.

Have I missed something in your maths, as well? If one box has 2kg of wax that needs 15kg of honey to make, then wouldn't six boxes require 6 x 15kg of honey, or 90kg?

Apologies if I'm just hard of thinking this evening. I've been chainsawing and clearing trees all day and I'm so tired now that I can barely stand up.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm so tired now that I can barely stand up.

Some on here can barely stand up for other reasons by this time of the evening

 

[JamezF]

Some on here can barely stand up for other reasons by this time of the evening

Ah, well, I have a free 8'x10' greenhouse to go and pick up in the morning, so I can't afford to be behaving like that today.

James

 

[Finman]

I agree there's a potential cost in honey, but surely the difference is just the weight of the foundation, not the total weight of the wax, because the bees will have to draw out the cells regardless of whether they have foundation or not? Or does one Langstroth box take 2kg of foundation?

And if they don't draw the "spine" of the comb as thick as foundation, then it's not even the weight of the foundation?

In fact, if the bees draw out more drone cells in the foundationless comb than they would with the standard foundation then there's probably another saving there, though I'd guess it's quite small.

Have I missed something in your maths, as well? If one box has 2kg of wax that needs 15kg of honey to make, then wouldn't six boxes require 6 x 15kg of honey, or 90kg?


Jamese

Yeah. It is 90 kg.

Wasting wax depends on your style to harvest your honey combs, like crushing the combs or make cut combs, or selling honey in combs, bees must draw foundations and cell wals.

And you may make candles and burn valuable wax.

And if I sell my wax to foumdation maker, pressing foundationd costs to me 3.5 €/kg.

Many does not have extractor, and they start every year combs from zero.