Will bees draw comb without foundation?

[Charlie19]

Is it necessary for bees to have a foundation for drawing comb on a frame? If I were to put a frame in without any foundation will they draw out comb, if so will it be straight?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is it necessary for bees to have a foundation for drawing comb on a frame? If I were to put a frame in without any foundation will they draw out comb, if so will it be straight?

No, yes. An interesting thread here on beekeeping without foundation.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27494&highlight=foundationless+beekeeping

 

[fatshark]

All my bait hives have 10 foundationless frames and an old manky black frame at the side. The foundationless frames have a 1cm strip as a guide, so aren't truly foundationless! However, they work a treat. 8-9 frames drawn out in a week when a large swarm arrives. Fantastically white wax. Straight … but make sure your hive is level as they draw the comb out vertically.

I've used 100m of fishing line to build foundationless frames this year (so probably about 100 frames) and had two failures - one with brace comb possibly because I got the spacing wrong, the other when the line became unattached … but that was still usable.

Read the thread by Tom Bick above and search for 'foundationless frames' to find some useful websites.

 

[oliver90owner]

'Maybe' is the answer to will they build it straight.

One in an already otherwise filled box OK, usually.

That may not be the case with a swarm arrival.

Might not be straight and/or may not be in the direction anticipated.

Remember 'bees do nothing invariably'.

 

[Charlie19]

There's some interesting points there. Thanks

 

[ratcatcher]

I dont know about foundation-less, but with a starter strip they will, this is a small cast swarm after the 2nd week, using no strip at all, is in my book asking for trouble with comb built where you don't want it, a reason I stopped using top bar hives

http://youtu.be/8FsFpRC0e34

 

[oliver90owner]

The simple response might be to point out that bees do it all the time in nature (draw comb without foundation). A little more detail of the scenario might be enlightening.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Is it necessary for bees to have a foundation for drawing comb on a frame? If I were to put a frame in without any foundation will they draw out comb, if so will it be straight?

No, the don't have to have foundation but if you want them to build straight comb within each frame, rather than them choosing to put it wherever they want, you will need to give them a guide of some sort. A starter strip, or turn the top 'wedge' through 90 degrees before attaching it, will often be enough.

If you go foundationless you will need to use either wire or fishing line, otherwise newly built comb might slump during an inspection.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When I arrived in Africa they had no foundation in the frames whatsoever, only wires and a groove as you get on national frames before you cut the wedge out - they drew comb fairly evenly apart from the fact that the frame spacings were too far apart (37mm not 31) so occasionally they would go 'freehand' across the frames

 

[Dishmop]

The simple response might be to point out that bees do it all the time in nature (draw comb without foundation).

3000 years B. T.


Before Thornes?