Help please

[Fergmeister]

Rescued/captured a swarm in KC a few weeks ago.  Received a used deep and 10 frames.  The frames with established comb were accepted.  Although we sprayed sugar syrup on the naked plastic frames the girls would rather make "wild hive" two sided free hanging comb instead of drawing out the comb on the plastic.  I stuck some wax comb sheets on the plastic and they draw comb on these.  Comments??
Chuck

[danno]

all the supply houses sell waxed and unwaxed plastic.   If what you are using has been sprayed with wax they should draw it out.   If not it nearly impossible to get them to draw plain plastic.   If you can get a few pounds of bee's wax do this.   Get yourself a 4inch foam paint roller.   Melt the wax in a double boiler.   You can make out with a coffee can and pot of water.   Roll hot wax on the sheets.   Then feed, feed, feed!!!!!

[Fergmeister]

Thanks.  That confirms my results with my experiment.  The experiment went as follows, I affixed some wax sheets to the plastic frames and viola, comb.  This is all new to me but, since I'm moving out to the country here we go.
Chuck

[Joe D]

I got some waxed rite cell plastic foundation last year.  I put in in supers in 4 hives, three worked it OK but the other hive doesn't like it. I have better luck with foundationless, or wax foundation on that hive.  Good luck




Joe

[BeeMaster2]

The trick to using plastic foundation is to use only plastic foundation in the box/super. If you mix them they will not work the plastic. If the super has all plastic, must have a wax coating, they will build it real well.
Jim