After reading Linda's blog... I got interested in testing out a hive or two without foundation. I want to still have the supers with foundation, mainly because I am lazy and don't want to have to crush and strain. Anyone else doing this? Does this confused the heck out of the bees? Inquiring minds wanna know...
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
That's my strategy...natural comb in a foundationless set-up in the broodnest and ritecell for the honey supers. I've been very pleased with the progress of the two packages I've hived on the equipment - 6 frames about 70 percent drawn out after two weeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpCcSQiYRCk
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpCcSQiYRCk#ws]DC Honeybees TV 4-10-11 Foundationless Frames 2nd Inspection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpCcSQiYRCk)[/url]
Can't foundationless frames be extracted in an extractor?
There are those who say yes, and I have not tried it. The benefit of foundationless...beyond the cost of foundation, is the bees' ability to build brood-nest comb at a natural cell size which is thought to provide some protection against parasites. As this is not important in the honey super, I am comfortable using the more rugged foundation to assure that blowouts are rare.
Another benefit of foundationless, and true across all hive components: wax accumulates all sorts of chemicals used in hives. As wax gets recycled, accumulation increases. Foundationless in hive bodies for the good of the bees, in supers with honey for the good of consumers (you first, your family, friends.)
Foundationless does not mean 'crush and strain'. i extract (centrifugal) all foundationless. i wire my frames, bees will build, including wires in the combs. As strong as foundations.
>I want to still have the supers with foundation, mainly because I am lazy and don't want to have to crush and strain.
I don foundationless. I don't crush and strain.
http://bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm#extract (http://bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm#extract)
> Anyone else doing this?
I mix them up every which way. Plastic, wax, foundationless...
> Does this confused the heck out of the bees?
Not at all.
Quote from: sterling on April 12, 2011, 06:40:05 PM
Can't foundationless frames be extracted in an extractor?
Yes, they can. You have to be a bit more careful with them - especially the first year when the wax is softer - but I haven't had any problems.
Quote from: organicfarmer on April 12, 2011, 10:25:09 PM
Foundationless does not mean 'crush and strain'. i extract (centrifugal) all foundationless. i wire my frames, bees will build, including wires in the combs. As strong as foundations.
Kinda used that phrase with foundationless because that is what I have seem most folks do. Glad to see that you can use them in an extractor...
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
Nice video DC!
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
Quote from: Michael Bush on April 12, 2011, 10:25:57 PM
>I want to still have the supers with foundation, mainly because I am lazy and don't want to have to crush and strain.
I don foundationless. I don't crush and strain.
http://bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm#extract (http://bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm#extract)
Of course I should go there, do it all the time! :-D Must have missed this page on the first go 'round michael. Thanks for the reminder...
...DOUG
KD4MOJ