Starter Strip on top, what about the bottom?

[Bigfoot]

Hello folks I have a couple of questions. I want to go foundation less on an  8 frame English garden hive, I bought the frames with the groove on the top and bottom, I put the starter strip in the top groove but there is also a groove on the bottom. should I put a strip there also? I have also read on various bee forms that you can or should use fishing line in the frame holes to add stability to the comb especially on deep frames. I would greatly appreciate any input on the best way to go foundation less.

[jmblakeney]

I am still a newbie so take what I say with a grain of salt but i'll share with you some of what and why I have done.

there is also a groove on the bottom. should I put a strip there also?

I don't see much since in it, they generally don't attach it to the bottom anyway.  It would just be more work.

you can or should use fishing line in the frame holes to add stability to the comb especially on deep frames.

I only use mediums so deeps maybe different, someone else will chime in with more experience.
With my mediums though, I did on the some of the first frames I built.  However, since then I have stopped using fishing line because if they start to build crazy or off center it is really hard to straighten it out if they have started to construct the comb around the line.  When you try to straighten the comb it destroy part of it.  I now do not use fishing line so when they do start to go all wonky i just cut it of the top bar and use rubber bands temporarily until they secure the comb in the frame straight.

Hope that helps.

James

[Kathyp]

don't bother with the bottom. most will eventually attach to the bottom, but since they build from top down, the strips at the bottom would only mess things up.  i use deeps and don't put anything for stability.  this is only an issue when the comb is new and unattached at the sides.  then you must be careful when you examine it that you don't tip the frames and break the comb.  once it's attached at the sides, it's fine and you won't notice that there are no wires or lines. 

[tina]

I only have one hive and have only had it a short time but I've cut out almost all the old combs and the bees are rebuilding from scratch. I'm using deeps I put fishing line in the frames as insurance due to our hot climate. A few of my frames are being built from the bottom up and from sides in but lovely and straight so I haven't interfered. I filled the bottom bar slots on my new frames with wax to stop SHB hiding in them but I noticed on the ones not yet built out that the bees are removing the wax. so next time I won't bother. Something else I noticed is that my bees prefer second-hand frames i.e. ones that I cut the old combs out of and put back in empty, to the brand new ones.