New and need help with foundation

Rachel · March 17, 2008, 08:40:37 PM

Hello!
I am a clueless beginner and have a question. I was putting my frames together and realized that the foundation that I have doesn't have wire in it. It is just "medium brood foundation". Is that ok? Can I use it like I would the crimp wire? I feel silly asking this because I don't even know the correct terms! Thanks in advance!
Rachel

Moonshae · March 17, 2008, 10:08:06 PM

Sure, you'll be fine. Wire just gives a bit more support during extracting or hot days. Bees don't use wires in the wild, after all. :-P

johnnybigfish · March 17, 2008, 11:04:45 PM

Hi Rachel, And welcome to the forums!
Dont feel silly about asking anything here! Theres lots of people here who have gone down the trail right ahead of you and me and MANY others who are new. I think that in here people are nice and wont leave you behind in the dark. As of April I'll have been a beekeeper for a year! That means my bees made it thru a full term!(This was important to me). At least you started right off with foundation and frames! I started with whole piece frames and foundation because I thought that making a frame was gonna be hard. Now I'm using real frames and foundation for any new boxes I make!
I dont know about raising queens, or cell size, ....But I DO know about getting stung!...And i DO know about how sticky honey is, and how good it tastes when a bee that you tend to makes it!
And just yesterday I learned what "Piping" means from someone here who told me where to listen to it at!( Go to wikipedia and type in "Queen bee piping".)
You're going to really trip out when you get your first bees, whether by package or someone giving them to you or even if you catch your own. Like i've mentioned before, and other people here have also mentioned,....Its like being a little kid at Christmas time all over again when you get your first bees!..Its like watching "A walk in the Clouds" when the guy and girl are fanning the heat down to protect the grapes from frost!..Its like when you were 5 and that little girl, who you think is so beautiful, sits next to you in the schoolbus!(Even if its only because there were no other seats).
For me, the excitement was OVERWHELMING!
Hmmm,...For you, I bet you cry.(Girls are sometimes like that!)
I almost choked from emotion driving home from the post office with my 2 new packages of bees!
Are you SURE you want to go through with this?

YOU BET YOU DO!!!
And WE ALL want to watch you, because we've all done it!
Ok,...As for my character qualitys....I just finished watching "The Bee Movie" with my buddy Paul...Thats over 500 lbs of "Meat" watching this movie....I had to go get a drink so paul wouldnt see me when i almost started blubbering!!..REALLY!!
By the way...You have to be open minded to watch this movie..Cuz Guy bees do all the work!

Ok,...I better settle down some...I have 2 collies looking up at me with their hands reaching up to me....The Lassie music plays in the background..... :'(

As JP would say to you, Please come back and see us!(JP's is our bee catching KING!)(But he's very humble about it)

your friend,
john

Kathyp · March 17, 2008, 11:49:43 PM

i don't use foundation with wire. most of mine this year are going to be a few frames of foundation and most starter strips. i have some old stuff that as given to me that has wires. not sure what i'm going to do with it yet.

Rachel · March 18, 2008, 08:44:44 AM

Thank you for your kind replies! I checked the computer first thing this morning and breathed a sigh of relief....I can continue the way I was! Then my computer logged me off...ugh. John, your reply made my day (I needed that!) you are so sweet and you made me so EXCITED to get my bees!! I really appreciated it :-*
I will be building and building today (in between trying to entertain the kids on spring break)
Once again,
Thank you thank you!

Scadsobees · March 18, 2008, 09:28:01 AM

FYI, when you put the foundation in too far before hand it will buckle or sag a little over time, especially if not supported with wires or pins. The easiest way to deal with this is to wait till you are ready to put the foundation in. (if you have an air nailer this is a breeze).

If you do do assemble ahead of time, and you get some sagging, just correct it the best you can, and they can draw it out, albeit a little crooked.

Just an FYI if it happens and you get panicked because it isn't supposed to do that....

John...skip all those emotional movies and watch something like Terminator!!! You're getting sappy!

-rick

Sean Kelly · March 18, 2008, 10:02:56 AM

Quote from: Rachel on March 17, 2008, 08:40:37 PM
I was putting my frames together and realized that the foundation that I have doesn't have wire in it. It is just "medium brood foundation". Is that ok? Can I use it like I would the crimp wire? I feel silly asking this because I don't even know the correct terms! Thanks in advance!
Rachel

Hey Rachel, welcome to the forum and to this great hobby!!!

I usually get crimp wire foundation and also embed more wire into it in a X patern. This really makes it strong and helps prevent blowout when run through an extractor. If this medium super is going to be used as a brood chamber, then all that extra reinforcement isnt really necessary. You will probably still want to embed wire into the foundation anyway. The tools to do this are all available from most bee supply places and are pretty inexpensive. I got all my stuff from W.T. Kelley and really like the thing that holds the spool of wire and keeps if from coming unspooled (not sure of the correct term either. lol). Pretty slick stuff though.
Also there's a really cool video series called "Honey Bees & Beekeeping - A year in the life of an apiary" by Keith Delaplane. In either the first or second episode he shows you how to install cross wires in your frame and embed them into the foundation.
They've been showing this video series on RFD-TV if you have satellite television. Most bee supply places also sell all 8 - half hour episodes on one DVD for like $50. Buy it, it's totally worth it.

I don't like using support pins by themselves. They work okay for a while but if it warms up before the bees draw out the foundation, the stuff will warp. The bees will still draw it out eventually but the comb will look all weird and may connect to other frames which is a pain.

Again, welcome to this wonderful forum and hobby. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. We all were newbees at one point too and understand where you're coming from. That's why this forum exists!

Sean Kelly

johnnybigfish · March 18, 2008, 07:31:38 PM

Hey Rick!
Ya wanna come over and watch "Old Yeller"? :)

You know, Sean,...I keep looking at these DVDs in the catalog.I keep saying I'm gonna get them but I still havent. Maybe i will with my "Stimulus" money!..Thanks for the encouragement! I'm gonna have my wife read your email to help re-enforce this decision!

your friend,
john

rast · March 18, 2008, 08:33:33 PM

Thanks, but no. I remember crying when I saw Ol Yeller the first time.
Another Rick

Sean Kelly · March 20, 2008, 09:30:09 AM

Quote from: johnnybigfish on March 18, 2008, 07:31:38 PM
You know, Sean,...I keep looking at these DVDs in the catalog.I keep saying I'm gonna get them but I still havent. Maybe i will with my "Stimulus" money!..Thanks for the encouragement! I'm gonna have my wife read your email to help re-enforce this decision!

Yeah, the series is pretty good. I have all of them recorded on my tivo and have been trying to find a way to copy them over to a DVD on my computer. All the time I've spent monkeying around recording them digitially I could have just bought them and been happy. Maybe part of my "Stimilus Package" will also go toward a hard copy. Need to buy honey supers first though. :-)

Sean Kelly