Chris asked some tactical questions about adding wax to plastic foundation.
 
In my opinion, the most important of his questions was "What temperature do you melt the wax to?"  My answer is "just barely melting".  Ideally, you should see a rim of congealing wax in your melting can.  If it's melted wax from edge to edge, it's too hot.  The problem with too-hot wax is not frame warping - that thin layer of wax doesn't have enough heat capacity to significantly warm the plastic - but wax puddling.  Specifically, if the wax is too hot it will flow down into the embossed cell bottoms and form a smooth, hard surface.  My bees eventually built comb on top of that surface but wouldn't ever draw out the wax itself.  Cool wax on the other hand accumulates on the rim of the embossing where the bees will draw it out into usable cell walls.
 
I have always used cheap styrofoam brushes, never rollers.  Not that rollers wouldn't work, I just haven't figured out how to get the right-temperature wax onto a roller.  A brush can be dipped into a can of wax on a small hotplate.
 
Re: getting the wax into every corner - I've spent time doing that.  By the end of the batch, I get tired and lazy.  I don't think I ever got below 80% coverage but there were definitely gaps, especially at the corners.  If it makes a difference to the bees, I have not been able to tell.  
 
How much wax per frame - I didn't keep rigorous notes but I'd guess I was getting 5-10 frames per ounce of wax.
 
I have not found sugar water to make any difference at all.
 
Re: communication holes - now there is a really interesting question.  I am skeptical of the value of communication holes in the bottom corners.  If the bees need to go around a frame and they're near the bottom corner, they can just go around the frame itself almost as easily.  I'm running an experiment with a top-bar hive and what I see there are communication holes at the top center.  Pierco frames don't come with communication holes.  I plan this year to drill some out to see what the bees do.  If they fill the holes with comb, that will be a good indication that they don't want a hole there.  The challenge is finding a drill bit large enough (3/4 - 1 inch) that won't shatter the plastic.  My one experiment with a spade bit was... messy.  
 
Mike Rossander


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