Plastic Frames Y/N ?

[Norfolk]

I have no experience with these new fangled plastic frames.
I bet there are plenty of members who have.

So what is your opinion of them ?

I'm thinking of Langstroth btw.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I know somebody who uses them, has never used wooden frames. They like them and, so far, have had no problems either in the hive or extracting.

 

[Tom Bick]

I have seen some and twisted very bad they also have plenty of hiding places for wax moth or at least the ones I looked at did.

Perhaps they are similar to the beehaus you are selling on ebay

 

[Norfolk]

I have one here and it looks solid enough and seems square but over time hmm.
Hence my question here.

Actually the Omlet I am selling is also square and wind and water tight but I have an opportunity to make everything uniform in size, having spend my beekeeping life mucking around with WBC and Nationals and 14x12 I'm really keen to standardize.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I had a load given to me several years ago, and tried them, two different makes, cannot remember the make now, but some were red,some black, they split to insert the foundation, they were rubbish, twisted,warped, opened up along the joins... maybe the ones available now have improved, i don't know...but i will stick with wooden frames.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I had some red plastic ones, thought they would be good and easy to replace the foundation, But the fixing lugs broke when you opened them after cutting out the comb

#the hollow section as Tom said harbored wax moth and as hivemaker says, they warp (especialy if you try to steam out the comb , I have two left, just to show the beginners class

 

[Norfolk]

Thanks peeps.

Not the most confidence inspiring views coming out.

 

[user 6228]

I d be loathe to have "wood free hives" unless we knew that bees had not any interaction with properties and substance of that rather complex material wood .

 

[mbc]

I d be loathe to have "wood free hives" unless we knew that bees had not any interaction with properties and substance of that rather complex material wood .

Bees can live quite happily in caves or stone buildings.

I have some experience of the one piece pierco plastic frames for langstroth and I would say the only advantage they have over wooden frames is convenience and cost, in every other way wooden frames with wax foundation wins hands down, still, the one piece frames are very popular with people who use thousands of them, they either dont want to spend weeks making up frames or are too tight to give someone piecework making up the frames or possibly its all down to cost advantage.
The bees always seem to draw out wood/wax quicker and better than plastic/wax coat when they have the option of either in the same box, even if the plastic is in the middle and the wood/wax to the sides.

 

[Norfolk]

I had some red plastic ones, thought they would be good and easy to replace the foundation, But the fixing lugs broke when you opened them after cutting out the comb

#the hollow section as Tom said harbored wax moth and as hivemaker says, they warp (especialy if you try to steam out the comb , I have two left, just to show the beginners class

Just looked over the frame I have and it doesn't appear to be able to come apart. It's like a frame with a solid bottom bar that you have to wire the foundation into. I do note however that the design & moulding process has left some nice safe havens for small moths. Hmmm

 

[Tom Bick]

I had some red plastic ones, thought they would be good and easy to replace the foundation, But the fixing lugs broke when you opened them after cutting out the comb

#the hollow section as Tom said harbored wax moth and as hivemaker says, they warp (especialy if you try to steam out the comb , I have two left, just to show the beginners class

I hope its the twisted broken ones.

 

[Amari]

I have no experience with these new fangled plastic frames.
I bet there are plenty of members who have.

So what is your opinion of them ?

I'm thinking of Langstroth btw.

I have used red plastic super and bb frames into which I insert unwired foundation for 6 years and recommend them. So easy to fit the foundation because the frame opens like a book. No problem with lugs breaking - no need to 'cut out the comb' (see post above) because all you do is open the book. Easy to clean by dipping into washing soda. No problem with warping
Photo 1: as supplied
2: I cut off the straps - bees don't like them
3: inserting the foundation
4: A 'virtual hive' photo, one of 11 for a demo at our village fete this year together with observation hive

 

[alice-edmund]

My Apimaye hive came with plastic frames - I'm a newbie in May 2013 - but they're very quick to assemble with unwired foundation. I did not get much honey last year so left all the frames in over winter - so I can't tell you how they come apart or clean up in the dishwasher at 60C. But I hope to find out this year. The apimaye ones have a sort of built in spacer so you do not have to use the (removable) guide rails in the hive. I'll be removing the guide rails this year.

 

[local_beekeeper]

Bees always like wood and wax but plastic it works too

 

[Michael Palmer]

At one time I had several thousand Pierco plastic frames/foundation in my operation. I grew to hate those frames. Still have some but I get rid of them as the comb get bad.

They are too flexible. Rather than pop up when you pry on them with your hive tool, they deflect and go nowhere. The always stick to the frames above and below, and you wind up struggling to pry the boxes apart. They twist as you handle them and if full honey combs, make your hands sore.

Wood is Good

 

[Amari]

At one time I had several thousand Pierco plastic frames/foundation in my operation. I grew to hate those frames. Still have some but I get rid of them as the comb get bad.

Important to define our terms. Plastic frames (see my post above) are not the same as plastic foundation in a plastic frame. I tried plastic foundation and was not impressed.