Storing new frames with foundation over winter

[MrMouse]

Hi folks,
I’ve been making some frames up for next year.
Should I put the foundation in them now or wait until the spring to do so and keep the foundation safely elsewhere?

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'd put the foundation in in the spring, with this cold weather it will be pretty brittle and harder to work

 

[drex]

And if kept wrapped will be fresher to get the bees working on it. ( I know some don't think it makes a difference)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And if kept wrapped will be fresher to get the bees working on it. ( I know some don't think it makes a difference)

I don't think it makes much difference, early this season I Demarree'd a couple of colonies using foundation purchased well before 2010 and which had been sat, unwrapped on a shelf in an outbuilding until the now long departed beekeeper's son gave it to me for disposal, the bees had drawn it all out within a week

 

[Newbeeneil]

I don't think it makes much difference, early this season I Demarree'd a couple of colonies using foundation purchased well before 2010 and which had been sat, unwrapped on a shelf in an outbuilding until the now long departed beekeeper's son gave it to me for disposal, the bees had drawn it all out within a week

I agree, I make my frames, including foundation, up during the winter and have used very old foundation (donated by the widow of a long departed beek) with no real problems. If I have a blowtorch with me when loading the frames into the hives I sometimes give them a quick blast to bring the oils to the surface.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't think it makes much difference, early this season I Demarree'd a couple of colonies using foundation purchased well before 2010 and which had been sat, unwrapped on a shelf in an outbuilding until the now long departed beekeeper's son gave it to me for disposal, the bees had drawn it all out within a week

My bees are ok with old foundation too. Even the sheets with odd holes in them

 

[Curly green finger's]

I don't think it makes much difference, early this season I Demarree'd a couple of colonies using foundation purchased well before 2010 and which had been sat, unwrapped on a shelf in an outbuilding until the now long departed beekeeper's son gave it to me for disposal, the bees had drawn it all out within a week

I run the blow torch over older wax foundation when I need to use it .

I like to do half of my frames with foundation by march for the simple reason it saves time later when I could be doing something else .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My bees are ok with old foundation too. Even the sheets with odd holes in them

I'm glad now I marked the frames with the ancient foundation in (there were some shallow as well as deeps) as I now can't tell the difference between them and the 'fresh' stuff

 

[drex]

Whatever. Beekeeping. I just like the smell of fresh foundation. JBM is right, main problem is it is very brittle when cold. If it is a cold day in spring when I am putting in foundation I will do it indoors. I have messed up enough sheets in the past

 

[Antipodes]

Whatever. Beekeeping. I just like the smell of fresh foundation. JBM is right, main problem is it is very brittle when cold. If it is a cold day in spring when I am putting in foundation I will do it indoors. I have messed up enough sheets in the past

It's almost the best thing about beekeeping... that smell.
I remember Finnie posting something along the lines that he places the foundation in a warm room for a while (say about 20 degrees), and that keeps it soft enough.

 

[sipa]

For us frame making is a winter task, just don't have the time during the season. I don't find any issues storing foundation in cold temeratures, but it needs warming up for 24 hours before attempting to put into frames otherwise it's just too brittle.
Once made up the frames store happily in cold but dry conditions.