plastic foundation

[blackie]

HI guys anyone using plastic foundation and whats the pros and cons b4 I buy a load?

 

[AmyB]

Easy to work with and to handle once waxed. Easy to clean. Hardly ever break.
Very easy to see eggs. Good for grafting.

Bees do prefer to work with wood and wax and will draw that out first over the plastic but if you give them no choice they will get on with it.
Some of our frames are slightly warped but this was down to how we waxed them when we first started, so they can draw out some brace comb instead of of the frame. We just keep knocking it down and they get the message.

 

[blackie]

did you rub wax over plastic first

 

[Bates]

Once they are drawn they are brilliant, get them drawn on a good flow in the super (use a brood box for a super). Feed if need be, they draw far better in the super than in the brood nest. Drop down once drawn. Last forever, don't blow out in the extractor and as above great for grafting and seeing eggs.

If you try and draw them in the brood nest or on a poor flow you will note they neglect it a bit or draw some strange cells and try to join oddly with the next frame. When we draw plastic frames we normally alternate them with waxed wooden frames in the super (deep box) so wax, plastic, wax, plastic etc. All pre waxed before dipped into hot wax or you can use a roller for smaller numbers.

I have a picture somewhere to dig out.

Had a look for the pic but forum seems to have wiped it from my post before

 

[Tom Bick]

Easy to work with and to handle once waxed. Easy to clean. Hardly ever break.
Very easy to see eggs. Good for grafting.

Bees do prefer to work with wood and wax and will draw that out first over the plastic but if you give them no choice they will get on with it.
Some of our frames are slightly warped but this was down to how we waxed them when we first started, so they can draw out some brace comb instead of of the frame. We just keep knocking it down and they get the message.

I respect people’s decisions and do what works for them but somehow that makes me a bit sad.

 

[pargyle]

I respect people’s decisions and do what works for them but somehow that makes me a bit sad.

+1 ... another thing favoured by some beekeepers for convenience but clearly not really favoured, generally, by the bees. The bees will tolerate just about anything but I'm with Tom on this.

 

[dpearce4]

personally I would use plastic but not for the reasons given above, to me there is no difference in using plastic frames to using poly hives. I have a real issue that the they are all cheap at the moment while oil is cheap, what happens when its not how we going to produce the stuff then.

At least wood is renewable.

 

[Tom Bick]

personally I would use plastic but not for the reasons given above, to me there is no difference in using plastic frames to using poly hives. I have a real issue that the they are all cheap at the moment while oil is cheap, what happens when its not how we going to produce the stuff then.

At least wood is renewable.

I have looked into a poly hive full of plastic frames and foundation and not a great experience. It was not a pretty sight twisted frames and half drawn buckled foundation leaving most of the frames unusable for the bees even with their wildest imaginations. I suspected the beekeeper had tried to clean the frames and foundation in boiling water or the dipping into hot wax did the damage and it was obvious why this beekeeper was happy to sell the hive to an inexperienced novice beekeeper and sold the hive through this forum.


Just want to add its up to the individual as to go with plastic or not and I am obviously anty

 

[Goran]

I never used one, but recently heard lot of experience with them. Mainly positive. I will test them next year at my hives. Also one beekeeper which opinion on this matter I respect, said that to him seems better combination wooden frames, black plastic foundation.

 

[dpearce4]

personally I would NOT use plastic but not for the reasons given above, to me there is no difference in using plastic frames to using poly hives. I have a real issue that the they are all cheap at the moment while oil is cheap, what happens when its not how we going to produce the stuff then.

At least wood is renewable.

I have missed a very important word out in this which I must add as it must be there. When I posted I knew I was anti but that was what I was trying to put across. sorry fort the confusion tom.

doug

 

[Tom Bick]

No problem Douig I was a bit confused but got the gist of what you said.

 

[itma]

The amount of oil used in my poly hives is utterly dwarfed by the oil consumption caused by my travel to association meetings, beekeeping training, etc.
Really the oil aspect isn't relevant.


Though both I and the bees are happy with the poly hives, I've NEVER come across a single beek who thought that bees preferred using, and did better on, plastic foundation, let alone frames.

 

[REDWOOD]

most of my hives have little holes in the foundations that the bees have chewed to make short cuts and ventilation, sometimes they fill them back in so how is this possible with plastic foundations? I suppose the use in supers would be OK but plastic fantastic does not float my boat.

 

[Luminos]

I bet you don't get this with plastic foundation

 

[Norfolk]

most of my hives have little holes in the foundations that the bees have chewed to make short cuts and ventilation, sometimes they fill them back in so how is this possible with plastic foundations? I suppose the use in supers would be OK but plastic fantastic does not float my boat.

I think you are correct. I'm not totally in the natural beek club but do think that bees do build things in ways we don't understand so I'd feel more comfortable about allowing them the opportunity.

 

[blackie]

rite cell plastic comes with the corner tabs that come off this is because the bees make corner holes for communication in brood frames