Garth Cambray asks what price is paid for wax foundation.
 
Here in Queensland, Australia, I take wax in to be made into foundation and it
costs me A$0.25 (i.e. 25 cents) a sheet to have it milled.  That would be
about 33 cents US.  That is for what we call medium brood which is 15 sheets
to the kilo.  That would be about 7 sheets to the pound.
 
If you want to just buy the medium brood wax foundation, it is $0.69.  That
would be about 91 cents US.  If you are an amateur and do not have a Tax File
Number (which is something all commercial beekeepers have) then you pay an
extra 22% tax on top of the price.
 
You can get what we call heavy foundation i.e  about 12 sheets to the kilo but
that is dearer.
 
There is plastic foundation sold in Australia but that price varies and will
be going up at present because it is imported from the US and our dollar has
got weaker in the past few weeks.
 
Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA