Newbee question -
What are your thoughts on plastic frames like Dadant sells? pros/cons?
Do the bees have any preference or just is it better to stick with wood frames?
I'm going to buy some frames in preparation for next spring, not sure what I should buy.
This is one of the most often asked question on the boards, use the " search " feature, many, many answers.
Bee-Bop
RC,
You'll find the bees seem to prefer the wood to plastic, but some people on here say the plastic works well for them, especially if they coat it with some used wax first.
Plastic is easier on the beekeep as you just pop it in the hive, no nailing, gluing or adding foundation.
When I started my hives last year I decided to use all plastic in the brood chambers and keep the wood for the supers (I crush and strain). My thinking was related to the need for future hive treatment w/chemicals. As many of the treatments for mites and such are not supposed to be done during the honey flow, I would instantly be able to tell brood box frames from harvestable honey frames and know that the honey frames (wood ones) had never been exposed to chemicals. I know the plastic frames were in place when treatments were going on.
Does this really make a big difference? Probably not. I am just anal.
Also, I am going foundationless in my honey supers and I think it is easier to do with wood.
ld
I set up 4 new hives with all plastic frames. They started to draw them out well but slowed down and are unwilling to move off the drawn frames.
They do not come coated with enough wax causes the bees to not draw them straight. I had a heck of a time with the bees bracing 4 or 5 frames together completely. Made it nearly impossoble to inspect when you had to rip and tear the frames out.
They will always burr comb the top bars. Not a biggie but just another thing to enounter when you have more than one box on the hive. It makes it difficut to remove one frame when it is connected to the frame below it.
I have started to cull the undrawn frames and replace with wood with was foundation.
I will never use plastic again. The "drop and go" is far diminished with tough inspection and killing brood.
Just my .02
I run a total of 600, PF-120 plastic frames. No more problems than any other frames.
Managment, I believe is the answer.
Bee-Bop
i use plastic in some of my hives and most will draw it out but i have some hives that won't draw on them.i took the frames out and place them in the hives that drew them out and had no problem with them.i guest its like people on buying a car some like this model car and some don't. ...schawee
YOu are not refering to perma-comb are you?
Quote from: Bee-Bop on June 09, 2011, 06:48:20 PM
I run a total of 600, PF-120 plastic frames. No more problems than any other frames.
Managment, I believe is the answer.
Bee-Bop
Can you elaborate on management?
I bought ez frames when I first started. They worked fine then. Have some bees from a different source. They haven't done well with them on the outside frames.
(http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n497/beekeepr2/th_yearold.jpg) (http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n497/beekeepr2/yearold.jpg?t=1307666823)