Plastic frames

[antaro]

Anyone have an opinion on plastic frames?
Looking to add a couple of medium supers and am trying to keep the cost down. Plastic is cheapest.

Thoughts?

[Grandpa Jim]

I like the plastic.  If you are going to use them consider coating with extra wax...there will be a difference in how they draw them out for you.  Below is an experiment I did a while back.

Here is an experiment I did brushing wax in 2 stripes on a frame.
http://img27.imageshack.us/i/perrcocomb001.jpg/

Checked back 1 week later and this is what I found.
http://img227.imageshack.us/i/perrcocomb021.jpg/

I would say brushing on wax does help.

[Scadsobees]

The only problem with the all plastic frames is that the bees tend to put a lot of burr comb on top of the plastic.  And they aren't quite so easy to scrape.
They tend to flex a little more, making it a little trickier to take out, but not bad.

I have lots of them, but the my newer ones are plastic foundation inside wood frames, I do like that better.

I don't mind them in the supers so much, but I prefer wood/plastic in the brood boxes.

They should be fine for you.

[antaro]

thanks for the insight, folks!
Appreciated.

[VolunteerK9]

Ive got some, not a real big fan of them either. The Mann Lake plastic frames of mine, have small grooves molded into the end bars that makes for perfect hiding places for SHB. Im not real keen on plastic foundation either. It seems that the bees are quick to scavenge the wax that the frames come coated with leaving a frame that later they refuse to work. The only way to counter this is to apply another,thicker coating of wax later. To me, the cons outweigh their pros.

[BlueBee]

I'm probably an anomaly, but for what it's worth, my bees did everything in their power to avoid the small cell plastic frames.  When they couldn't build down, they tried to build perpendicular to the frames.  If I can ever get this stuff combed up, I will try to get rid of it as "special" small cell nucs. 

My bees comb up the pierco plastic foundation in wood frames lickety split.  The piero is standard cell size.  My bees like plastic; just not those small cell frames.  Among other problems, my bees are probably obese and think bigger is better.

[Bee-Bop]

When they couldn't build down, they tried to build perpendicular to the frames.  If I can ever get this stuff combed up, I will try to get rid of it as "special" small cell nucs. 

What the heck kinda hive set up do you have that the bees can make that Large of comb beneath a frame.

Look like you have more than the normal bee space of about 1/4 - 3/8 in.

PCM

[yockey5]

I have tried the "plastic" but do not like, nor do I use it now.

[BlueBee]

Looks like you have more than the normal bee space

Indeed!

Just doing things differently, as usual.  Actually I was converting an all medium hive over to a larger comb setup and missed this frame in the process.   I have more than one frame that that looks like this  :-D

To be fair, I'm convinced a lot of people use the all plastic frames and have success with them.  Grandpa Jim showed a great experiment.  I will try re-waxing my frames and see if that helps.  My plan though is to still phase them out as I can, and go with pierco.

[Bee-Bop]

Looks like you have more than the normal bee space

Indeed!



To be fair, I'm convinced a lot of people use the all plastic frames and have success with them.  Grandpa Jim showed a great experiment.  I will try re-waxing my frames and see if that helps.

I run 600 Mann-Lake 120 frames, before instalation I give a very lite coat of wax, one lite pass with a 4 in. foam roller.

Have had no problems with bees accepting them.

Plastic got a bad rap at first, they were made in India, of poor material, and bad design.
Pierco is made in Cal. by the Rubbermaid Co., Mann-Lakes are made by a Co. in Illinois

Bee-Bop

[Michael Bush]

I have a lot (3,000 or so) Mann Lake PF120s.  I love them.  The bees accept them well.  They were inexpensive.  I don't have to assemble them and they are 4.95mm cell size.