Hello Adony & All,

I think the size of an operation and time/labor enter in. The hobby
beekeeper can use whatever time needed and rarely figures his/her time into
the equation.

The one percenters look at comb different. The term was given on page 12 of
the January issue of Bee Culture entitled " Status of Pollination in North
America".

" In the U.S. there are about 135,000 beekeepers which manage 2.4 million
colonies of bees. Only about one percent manage between 300-60,000 colonies
each to provide most of the nations pollination.

Many of these guys make huge bon fires each spring of comb culls regardless
of plastic or wax foundation. All about time/labor and about  buying plastic
comb by the truck load at truck load prices.

I am more frugal myself and my answers are below on plastic in wood frames.

>I assume plastic is then redipped in wax and put into colonies.

I never redip. I find once plastic has been drawn once then the bees move
onto fast the second time around.


 I have used plenty of unwaxed plastic foundation with success but prefer
the waxed unless a strong flow is on. I think its got more to do with bees
moving quicker into plastic with the smell of wax than anything else.

I have bought unwaxed and dipped myself but not cost effective. Again
labor/time involved. If on a hobby basis I most likely would do.


>Plastic starts to look like a sustainable (and highly profitable) practice
if you can reuse the plastic.  Does anyone have any expereince with this?

ALL  the one percenter's (new term which may take on like forty niner's did
for small cell beekeepers) I run with use plastic exclusivly. They dislike
the time involved with wiring and afraid of wax from foundation suppliers
( perhaps from quilty concunctous of turning in years of contaminated wax).
Most feel plastic is a better deal then the wax/plastic duragilt foundation
which when free of wax is not drawn by bees or filled with drone comb.

I use different methods of dealing with plastic foundation in wood frames if
a cull comb. I do not bon fire but I am not on a level of the really large
one percenters.

fast cull.

1. I smash a fist through the plastic ( not breaking the foundation of
course)and toss the foundation/comb in a box to deal with later. Then snap a
new waxed comb in place.

slower cull

2. scrap wax into a container I built (55 gallon drum) and then return to
box ready for bees.

3. Only scrap part of frame damaged by wax moths or if over my limit for
drone comb only the excess drone comb.


>How many times can you steam a plastic frame and still have it be useful?

Although I have got plenty of  plastic frames (beekeeper buy outs) i toss in
the trash when ends break or they will not scrap clear of wax. I mean
sometimes you have a tough time cutting the wax down until the base
foundation is exposed.

I do take the plastic foundation I punched out with fist (see above) at this
time of year ( WARM BUILDING LISTENING TO BALL GAME OR MUSIC SIPPING ON A
GLASS OF MEAD) and go through and try to see if I can reuse. I have a tray i
use in my betterway wax melter which can clean the wax off. Warped
foundation hits the trash pail.

>Presumably the most sustainable practice is to have the bees draw out
their own comb.

In Missouri when serious brood rearing starts and you have got 8 weeks to
the main honey flow the first choice is drawn comb.
Bees need warm if not hot weather to get serious about drawing comb. Also
hot weather is the best time to use scrapped down plastic foundation.

All beekeeping is local and might be interesting to hear ways aothers deal
with recycling plastic foundation.

In the Dakota's beekeepers use deeps and get comb drawn as supers and then
use fully drawn in brood nests. In 70-90F. weather bees draw comb
unbelievably fast. In March /April in Missouri when temps only reach 70F.
for a few hours in the day comb drawing is a slow process.  Sooo I do not
draw foundation at that time. Never.

To me using foundation-less comb has never even been considered but
interesting to hear about others using such methods.

bob










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