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Author Topic: Plastic foundation  (Read 13591 times)

Offline JasonP

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Plastic foundation
« on: May 04, 2013, 02:44:32 am »
Hello, I was wondering what you all thought of using plastic foundation, it does seem to be less work as opposed to the wax foundation. I've watched a few youtube videos which seem to indicate that they work well. As I am a nubie and havn't bought my frames or foundation yet I was just wanting to know any thoughts. I was thinking of going for timber frames with the black foundation.
Kind Regards
JasonP

Offline edward

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2013, 03:21:55 am »
There great when extracting honey , you can spin them fast and hard without risking that they fall a part and break.


mvh Edward  :-P

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2013, 03:44:59 am »
Black plastic and wood frames are PERFECT.  Rigid and durable and easily fixed if the bees (or pests) mess up the comb.  Very easy to see the eggs with black plastic.

Plus what Edward said. X:X

Offline JasonP

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2013, 08:17:36 am »
Ok excellent, thank you very much just wanted to confirm my thoughts.
JasonP

Offline edward

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2013, 08:01:42 pm »
I use the ones that are made from only plastic 17% more space for brood or honey, less work in assembling them.

One of the biggest benefits is that you can have totall controll over your wax and you know what it has been contaminated with or NOT!

It feels good to know and have control over the wax that the bees make and store honey in!


mvh Edward  :-P

The black frames are great when you want larvae for Queen breeding, but I also have White frames  :-\ Not so good, hopless  :'(
But as supers filled with honey they look great  :-D

Offline JasonP

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2013, 10:39:11 pm »
Thanks Edward, that's interesting. I might give those a try too, thanks
JasonP :)

Offline nietssemaj

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2013, 07:44:31 am »
disclaimer * I've never used plastic foundation though 2 nucs I bought last year had a couple of plastic frames with plastic foundation *

I've been told by local beeks that plastic foundation has a one major problem. If the bees steal the wax coating that is prelaid on the foundation they'll never draw out that part of the foundation. They claim that even coating it again with their own wax doesn't work. At a short-course I attended a beek teaching framebuilding and foundation laying had a few frames of dark spotty brood comb on plastic where one side was fully drawn with dark comb on about 40% of the frame the rest was bare plastic.

Anyone who actually uses the stuff seen this behavior or are the locals just over exaggerating a chance occurrence?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2013, 08:20:05 am »
nietssemaj
I think they are referring to the duragilt foundation supplied by some of the bee supply houses.  If bees need the space desperately they will build comb on the smooth plastic, but I have only seen it after they have no where else to put wax.There is no imprint on the smooth plastic once the wax is removed.
  Solid platic frames can be recoated just fine. Many will actually power wash off the old wax, recoat and reuse.

Offline nietssemaj

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2013, 08:22:59 am »
Is the duraglit smooth plastic with a slight wax honeycomb pattern as opposed to the other plastic that has a pattern in plastic?

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2013, 08:57:43 am »
Plastic frame:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Duragilt(New)


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Duragilt w/ wax removed:


Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

You can get the plastic type foundation that snaps directly into the frames too with the preformed cell imprinted.

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2013, 09:01:50 am »


Plastic frame

Offline edward

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #11 on: May 05, 2013, 09:28:16 am »
How to coat or recoat your plastic frames.

Waxing Plasticframes



mvh Edward  :-P

Offline buzzbee

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #12 on: May 05, 2013, 09:38:30 am »
Melted wax and a mini paint roller.  :)

Offline edward

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2013, 09:59:31 am »
I paint mine from the bottom upwards, this makes a Little wave of liquid hot wax in front of the roller that gets into all the nooks and crannies.

Also resting the frame on the bucket makes things faster and less spill of wax + the wax doesn't cool down on the way from the bucket to the frame.


mvh Edward  :-P

Offline hardwood

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2013, 10:22:36 am »
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2013, 11:21:34 am »
Hey JasonP,

I am brand new to this also. This is day 15 for me. Haven't been into my hives for a week now and can't until Monday or Tuesday so I don't know how much further they have progressed. However last Saturday which was day 7, this is how my frames looked.










These were new frames with no draw combs on them installed in an 8 frame medium box and a 3lb pkg of bees. Before I put the frames in I did spray them with sugar water to help the bees accept them. Looks like it worked and worked well.

These are Mann Lake PF120's. A wax coated totally plastic frame with a cell imprint on the plastic. If you ever need to remove the comb, the imprint will still be there. Just recoat with wax and reuse. The cell imprint is permanent.

I used the lighter color because I am in Georgia where it get hot and supposedly these are cooler that the black.

The only thing I don't like is the slots around the edge. When I push the frames together, the slots are large enough for bee to get trapped and die. I haven't found a way to prevent that from happening. That being said I do like them.

Whenever I install a pkg I will use them but when I install a nuc I am going to use foundationless frames.

Good luck in your choice.

Hope this helps.

David


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"Never give up. Never surrender."

Offline JasonP

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2013, 03:38:33 pm »
Great discussion guys, thanks. I have thought about those little slots around the edges of the solid plastic frames might be a problem with the SHB getting in and setting up home or as David says, die in there. Have you found this is much of a problem? Could you fill them with wax or would this make them too heavy.


I said to my wife the other week ( After waiting for precisely the right moment of course ) " What would you think about me getting some hives for the back yard" and she said " if you make those doors for the fish tank cupboard you've been promising you can do anything you want"

The moral of my story- All good things come to those who wait.

Ps. The doors are just about finished

Offline Georgia Boy

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2013, 04:04:24 pm »
Hey JasonP,

Most of the guy on here seems to think the slot aren't much of a problem.

Michael replied "I've never had a problem with the slots..."

Bud1 replied "bees will fix them  I  have used them for years"

buzzbee posted "The bees likely will propolize the slots."

And this from AllenF "I have heard of the problems with SHB with those before. Go get a few tubes of caulk and fill in the holes."

I seem to trap some in there everytime I close up the frames tightly. I am just overreacting because I REALLY hate to crush or kill my bees.

Now you get those hives. You won't regret it. I'm having a great time with mine. I hope to get 2 nucs tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

David

"Give it All You've Got"
"Never give up. Never surrender."

Offline nietssemaj

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2013, 04:25:33 pm »
Last year I purchased 2 nucs that together had about 5 plastic frames in them. Those frames moved through my barrel hives and eventually into Langstroths as I split hives.

I don't have any pictures of the frames right before my hives absconded due to beetles but there were lots of them and they hid in the spurs. Beetle blasters, screen bottom boards with oil trays it didn't matter.

Not sure if where you are SHB are a concern or not but if it were me I would fill those gaps with something. Even if I wind up with bees in my langs again this year those frames won't be used.

Offline edward

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Re: Plastic foundation
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2013, 04:31:06 pm »
Thankfully we don't have the hive beetel yet.

I only use plastic frames in my suppers and I was wondering if the hive beetle lives even in the supers or mostly in the brood box?


mvh Edward  :-P

 

anything