Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: labradorfarms on January 26, 2014, 04:32:03 pm

Title: Wax and Plastic Foundations
Post by: labradorfarms on January 26, 2014, 04:32:03 pm

I have decided to start out with two hives.... Could I have one hive with a pure wax foundation and one hive with plastic foundation?
Are the cell sizes the same? I mean if going into winter and one hive gets weak and I must combine them. Would the bees from the pure wax hive  do ok in the Plastic foundation hive and visa versa???

Id just like to see which hive preforms better?

Title: Re: Wax and Plastic Foundations
Post by: Vance G on January 26, 2014, 04:36:43 pm

In the fall particularly, any difference in size would be immaterial.  Bees naturally build different size cells in their nests. 

Title: Re: Wax and Plastic Foundations
Post by: Michael Bush on January 26, 2014, 09:07:57 pm

>I have decided to start out with two hives.... Could I have one hive with a pure wax foundation and one hive with plastic foundation?

Yes.

>Are the cell sizes the same?

It depends:
http://bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm#cellsizes (http://bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm#cellsizes)

What matters to me is that it is 4.9mm or so...

>I mean if going into winter and one hive gets weak and I must combine them. Would the bees from the pure wax hive  do ok in the Plastic foundation hive and visa versa???

http://bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#waxplastic (http://bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#waxplastic)