On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:19:17 -0500, H. Higgenbotham
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Are honeybee's willing to draw comb from a foundation made of
>microcrystalline wax? 

Back in the 1970s I worked in a factory where we made honey comb foundation.
Since we did not have the machinery to automatically embed wires (like Root
and Dadant) the owner offered what he called "heavy brood" foundation. (As
opposed to medium brood or light surplus, for example). When it was properly
wired by the beekeeper, this stuff was pretty heavy duty. 

But since a lot of our customers were from the desert, they wanted something
even tougher. So the owner started adding Carnauba or microcrystalline
waxes, if requested. Of course, in small quantities, these should not
prevent the bees from making good combs. However! -- this is *adulteration*
of beeswax. I didn't approve of it then and I don't approve of it now. 

Most people have switched to hard plastic foundation for better comb strength.

pb 

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---