Superfine foundation; tips please

[alfazer]

The very thin stuff with no wires. I like it for cut comb but anyone any tips for getting it to stay in the frame without dropping? Also, it bows side to side easily.

I'm using a little melted wax to hold it in place, but are there any tricks I've been missing?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Never any bother with mine but you could try putting it in Manley frames or better still do without foundation entirely

 

[oliver90owner]

Being drawn quickly is the best solution.

 

[alfazer]

Being drawn quickly is the best solution.

I think that's been the source of the problem; frames made up early, ready to go and then the weather turns bad or the flow doesn't happen.

 

[Brigsy]

I alternated frames last year with it but cut it into starter strips waxed in place. Worked out great.

 

[user 15607]

Hair grips, sometimes called bobby pins or kirby grips, ask your missus, push them through the wire holes in the side bar, the clip is split so it goes either side of the foundation sheet.

 

[Bee Bumble]

These are what you need:

https://www.bee-equipment.co.uk/product-p/hd-173.htm

Available in plastic or metal, just drill 2 holes in each sidebar to push them through, use 4 per frame. You could also make your own out of wood - it is just a small peg after all.

 

[Barbarian]

As said before. Put on strong hive during a flow.

I used 10 frames in a National super. I alternated the frames. One frame full sheet of foundation. The next with just half a sheet of foundation with bottom cut on a zig-zag. Seemed to prevent oddly aliened comb and brace comb.

 

[Finman]

. The next with just half a sheet of foundation with bottom cut on a zig-zag. Seemed to prevent oddly aliened comb and brace comb.

I did the same. That was a disaster. Half of frames drone cells.

If you have too thin foundations, do not continue that problem further and generate all kind of stupid ideas around it..

.I wrote half year ago, that if you have 100 g weigh foundations, bees can draw 5 mm cell walls with that wax material, and the weigh of frame does not rise.

.

 

[Into the lions den]

For comb honey production most serious producers pre wire the frames. Two or four horizontal wires dependant on whether you are using shallows or deeps (we use Lang deeps for this job).

With tight wires firmly embedded the foundation never sags. When ready to cut the comb simply snip the wires outside the end bars. With a battery charger or car battery,,,attach one end to a set of pliers and grip one end of the wire. Touch the other end with the clip from the other terminal and gently pull with the pliars. Thec wire cleanly pulls out in a couple of seconds.

Sounds involved but its not. Its very fast to fillet them this way.

Also....Finman knows what he is talking about....its not necessary to use the very thinnest foundation,,,,the bees do a decent job on the next grade up.

If harvest matters to you then starter strips will take about a third off your crop compared to using full sheets and except in the heaviest flows increase the risk of a rare old mess. Done the experiments years ago and have posted the details here before. Starter strips are a complete false economy.

Foundationless was never even thought of as an option when these trials were done but is a current fashion with a minority. I cannot comment on that way, but would not even consider it myself.

 

[Leigh]

I've been using tiny starter strips on BS deep frames for a few years now - generally works very well, and the resulting midrib/wax is very delicate when eaten. Often, with a full sheet of foundation (even with thin foundation), despite being used to draw out, the midrib can be rather chewy in comparison. It is nice to be able to offer something that doesn't have any "alien" wax in it.

I cut a square which just fits in a kilner jar and surround it with liquid honey. Popular with the punters and looks gorgeous.

Every now and again, the bees will build "off topic", but this is still useable as chunk.

.

 

[Finman]

I've been using tiny starter strips on BS deep frames for a few years now - ].

Bees have made combs millions of years. Foundations have been invented 150 years ago.

But you miss lots of honey and money with natural combs.

To eate beewax make no sense. Recycle it as extracted combs.

 

[Leigh]

Bees have made combs millions of years. Foundations have been invented 150 years ago.

But you miss lots of honey and money with natural combs.

To eate beewax make no sense. Recycle it as extracted combs.

That is very true Finman. Also true is that people are willing to pay more than enough to compensate for honey lost, time spent etc, and I find it is well worth my while. People seem excited by "different" ways of eating honey too. If they will pay, I'll ask my bees (very nicely) to make plenty of it!

 

[colinc]

I always struggle to sell cut comb because people report Ritecell to be hard on their teeth.....??!

Go figure.


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