I had pretty good success with plastic foundation this year.
 
Apparently there are 3 versions out:
 
1. Permadent
2. Pierco
3. Duragilt
 
I have decided to use Duragilt with support pins in the brood chamber. The
nice layer of wax entices the bees to draw it out without hesitation.
However, I find that Duragilt is too weak for extracting supers and will
bend if the extractor goes too fast (I use my children and they like the
high RPM's  :)
 
I ordered some Pierco platic foundation for the first time last week.  I
noticed that the Pierco is thicker than Permadent so makes snapping in a
grooved bootom bar frame a little harder.  I do notice a little more wax on
these foundations. I haven't noticed if the bees draw this foundation out
any faster than Permadent.
 
Anyone else have any observations or comments as to the
effectiveness/downsides of these 3 plastic foundations?
 
**************
 
Some instructions came with the Pierco foundations, so I am sharing this
with the BEE-list as educational material.
 
BASIC METHODS FOR PIERCO PLASTIC FRAME FOUNDATION
 
The basic requirement for new comb foundation are the same.  No matter what
type yu are using, at Pierco we want you to get the most out of you new
frames, that is why we are enclosing this information guide.
 
1.  COlonies should be strong and healthy, it is difficult to get bees to
stretch any foundation if they are under any stress.
 
2. Colonies must be on some type of flow, be it a natural nectar flow or
artificial (sugar syrup), they cannot produce wax without have some type of
carbohydrates coming in.
 
3. Not including certain commercial management methods, foundation should
be give to the bees in an interspersed method, i.e. in a 9 frame super,
foundation should be in the number 3,5,7 postions.  THe reason for this is
that bees will be slow to draw foundation that is to the outside of the
super, and when you have two frames of foundation beside one another the
bees will sometimes fill the area with burr comb, beuase the of the size of
the gap bewteen the sheets is too large. However, if you wish to put a full
super of foundation on, then you should put 10 frames in the super to
restrict this space, you will probably also have to move the frames from
the outside in after the bees have started to draw the centre ones out.  To
a certain extent full supers of foundation can act as a barrier to upward
expansion, and some colonies will be slow to enter them.
 
4.  Brood nests can be used to draw foundation, but it must be remembered
that unless the conditions are ideal, the brood rate will decrease when
foundation is added, the bees need to draw foundation are young bees and
these young bees are also needed to feed the young brood.  Depending on
your hive strength, amount of nectar coming into the hive and size of hive,
determines the number of frames of foundation being introduced.  A general
rule of two frames per brood nest whould work well, using positions 3 and
7.  It is best to only use the top brood box unless all brood boxes are
quite packed with bees on a good flow.
 
5.  In some areas at certain times a difference can be nted between waxed
and unwaxed foundation acceptance.  Generally the stronger the hive and the
greater the nectar flow, the better the acceptance will be.  If you are in
an area of small flow, you may find the waxed will work better, while if
you are in an area of fast intense flows the bees will draw either oout
equally well.  Depending on your area the waxed will require less
management than the unwaxed.
 
We hope that this information sheet is useful to you.  If you have any
qustions about drawing out Pierco foundation, oyu can give us or your local
Apiculture inspector a call
 
Thank you.
 
************ End Sheet*****
 
 
 
 
Paul Cronshaw, D.C.
Hobby Beekeeper
Santa Barbara, CA  USA