Foundationless brood frames

[nella]

Should you put  horizontal wire in the brood frames if you don't use foundation?
  Thanks  Nella

[Big John]

I use all foundation less frames and wire all my frames horizontal, it helps the comb be more stable while new, the bees will incorporate the wire into the comb and it will not be a problem.

[Hethen57]

Just curious...and without opening a big debate on the merits, is the decision to go foundationless for convenience/to save money, or is it a modified "natural bee-top bar hive" philosophy?

[Robo]

Just curious...and without opening a big debate on the merits, is the decision to go foundationless for convenience/to save money, or is it a modified "natural bee-top bar hive" philosophy?

It is to allow a "more natural" approach


I wire all by foundationless frames as well.

[Hethen57]

When you wire them, are they basically wired as if you were going to embed some wax foundation?

[Robo]

When you wire them, are they basically wired as if you were going to embed some wax foundation?

That is how I do it,  but you could probably get away with less wires if you wanted.   The top wire is the most critical.  Once they build the comb around the first wire,  the chance of comb failure is substantially reduce.

[Hethen57]

I'd be interested in trying it.  I was doing a personal test between Plasticel and medium wax in my brood boxes and my first observations were that the bees built out the wax quicker.  I'd like to try going foundationless in a hive sometime and see how they do.

[Michael Bush]

>Should you put  horizontal wire in the brood frames if you don't use foundation?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm#dowire