For reasons that are not clear (and I do not need to know them) Mark wants
to destroy cells drawn on plastic foundation and then re-use the foundation
in extracting supers.  He said "the wax coating will need to be replaced
somehow, IMHO."

Nothing could be further from the truth!  Bees will draw uniform beautiful
cells on plastic foundation without any wax coating.  In fact, all of the
commercial beekeepers I know that use the plastic foundation buy it
uncoated...to save a few pennies...and the bees draw it just fine.

Unfortunately, many hobbyists do not know how to get foundation drawn
properly, and beekeepers such as myself don't take the time to comment on
how to do so.  Briefly, do either:
1.  Let the bees first fill a box with nectar and start to cap it, then put
a box of foundation under that box and directly above the brood nest.  This
is how most commercial beekeepers I know draw entire boxes of foundation.
2.  Feed, feed, and more feed.  Use a top feeder (not a Boardman or a  frame
feeder) and either 55% corn syrup or a sugar water mixture of 2 sugar to 1
water.  Feed until the entire super is drawn and is started to be capped.

If you want a hive to draw more than one super of foundation (in conditions
similar to those in the Northeast) plan on doing it by feeding.  One cannot
count on our flows lasting long enough to do more than fill one super with
drawn comb plus drawing foundation for another.

For all hobbyists, I recommend feeding as it is mightily discouraging to
find a super that has all 9 or 10 frames only 2/3 finished as the flow quit
too soon for the bees to finish.
Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner Ross Rounds, Inc.
Manufacturers of Ross Rounds Comb
Honey Equipment, Sundance Pollen Traps
and Custom Printer of Sundance Labels.

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