Wax foundation

[Hivemaker.]

Go to U tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgOHM6ZhS3M

 

[Finman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgOHM6ZhS3M

Seems simple and neat in that video. 5 m2 floor, where you do it.

Then you need 200 m2 floor space to

- melt combs and store old frames and boxes
- melting cappings
- steam generators
- store raw wax
- pressing was to pre sheets
- pressing cell figure (video)
- store foundations
- different sizes of foundations
- buy raw wax from beekeepers, stores
- packing and sending to customers


Neat process? No, a "neat" factory

.

 

[Finman]

.
To hobby beekeeper it is quite a job to take off wax from old combs.
Storing those old combs us not easy. Wax moth is waiting for that food store.
Then boiling old frames.

 

[Millet]

I like this fellow, i don't know how much use the wax foundation is by doing it like this but it looks easy and cheap to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7VxZVSLm4E

 

[Hivemaker.]

i don't know how much use the wax foundation is by doing it like this

http://www.planbee.org.uk/uploads/Low cost Foundation _21_.pdf

 

[busybee53]

Very interesting. Seems sensible to use wax from your own bees to make foundation if possible. What is the likelihood of passing on disease in wax? When we buy foundation we have no idea how healthy (or not) the bees were which made the original wax. What do you guys think?

 

[Finman]

Very interesting. Seems sensible to use wax from your own bees to make foundation if possible. What is the likelihood of passing on disease in wax? When we buy foundation we have no idea how healthy (or not) the bees were which made the original wax. What do you guys think?

We experienced beekeepers know, that diseases do not come via foundations.

To do your own foundations is really meshy job. And that awfull odor.
. Give your wax to foundation maker and you get ready foundations with low price.

To me cost is 20 pence per sheet. But to melt wax from dark combs is quite a job.

 

[Finman]

http://www.planbee.org.uk/uploads/Low cost Foundation _21_.pdf

Those combs are pure rubbish. Give you wax to professional, and your get quality.

When I suggested that frames are worth to do and easy to do, it was completely doomed. Now every 2-hive owner is doing foundations.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Give you wax to professional

I do, I give it to myself.

 

[Hivemaker.]

What do you guys think?

I think the pesticide residues that have been found could be a bigger issue than disease.

 

[Brian Bush]

A few years ago the main supplier in the UK was supplying a wax with a greenish tinge. The bees did not like it and had to be desperate to draw it.
I believe it was remarked upon in this forum at the time and advice offered that Kemble bees supplies, albeit slightly more expensive, was much better.
I switched to the latter supplier and the bees liked it.
Subsequently, I was told by an impeccable source, that the main supplier had used wax imported from Ethiopia, hence the green colouration.
Since this time I note that wax suppliers stress that they only use UK supplied wax and some from Australia and New Zealand.
With honey production down this year, ergo wax production will also be down maybe the suppliers are having to import more from the antipodes and this will be more expensive due to transport costs.
We may need to pay more for a quality product, no more from Ethiopia or anywhere else please.

 

[Hivemaker.]

We may need to pay more for a quality product, no more from Ethiopia or anywhere else please.

A lot of wax is imported from Africa, including organic certified by the soil association.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We may need to pay more for a quality product, no more from Ethiopia or anywhere else please.

rather a sweeping and unfounded statement - you may find that in general wax from Africa is much cleaner and healthier than from other places - a lot of it can rightly claim organic status

edit: hadn't seen HM's post

 

[Finman]

.
Greenesh color wax? Perhaps wax has been melted in copper container.

 

[Finman]

rather a sweeping and unfounded statement - you may find that in general wsax from africa is much cleaner and healthier than from other places - a lot of it can rightly claim organic status

They use there only stainless steel as containers.

 

[Finman]

.
I found an article from internet that green color has been used in ancient Egypt, which is mixture of beewax and copper.

 

[Hivemaker.]

.
copper.

....

Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

 

[Itchy]

The green is copper oxide

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Very interesting. Seems sensible to use wax from your own bees to make foundation if possible. What is the likelihood of passing on disease in wax? When we buy foundation we have no idea how healthy (or not) the bees were which made the original wax. What do you guys think?

I once asked a major manufacturer how they sterilised wax. I was told they heated it under pressure to 117.5 degrees for an hour. One feels that would leave AFB spores feeling decidedly unwell.

 

[oliver90owner]

The green is copper oxide

Never, since I was at school - and that was forty years ago!. Copper oxide is black normally. That would be the usual oxidation state of +2. Cuprous oxide would be reddish.

Copper carbonate is the usual culprit for the green colour.