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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 9 Mar 2011 18:39:50 -0500
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Forwarded so others will not go down the same rat hole!
 
Dave M.
 
 
 
Hi Dave,  


Things now complicated.  If you replace the two sheets of waxed  plastic 
foundation at about $1 ea, then that would provide the new wax for the  cell 
walls.  If waxmoth has eaten the plastic clean, then the bees would  have to 
make a bit of wax.


If you are speaking here of an extracted box of combs, then there would be  
no cappings, so no lost wax due to loss of cappings.


You are really stretching here with your $73 figure.  Compare this to  the 
actual cost of a completely assembled new medium super from Dadant--only  
$41!  The foundation would already have enough wax for the cell walls, so  no 
substantial added wax working cost, since you are comparing to an uncapped  
super.  I doubt that the wax working cost would be more than that of the  
new cappings wax, which is only about .6 lbs x 7-8 lbs honey/lb wax, so maybe  
4-5 lbs honey.


So if you're talking about a super with only two damaged combs, your  
maximum hobby figure would have to be much lower!


More to the point is what Allen mentioned--whether you are speaking of a  
weak or strong flow.  In any flow in which the mid aged bees receive nectar  
faster than they can unload it, the fullness of their honey sacs will 
stimulate  wax production.  We call this "white wax" production, which they will 
do no  matter whether on foundation or drawn comb.  If there is foundation, 
this  wax will be used to build cell walls.  If no foundation, it will be 
simply  added to existing comb.  So there would still be the "lost production" 
due  to the produced wax, whether it was used to build fresh comb, or merely 
used to  whiten existing comb, make burr comb, etc.


Richard Taylor said "A strong colony of bees will make almost as much  comb 
honey as extracted honey on a strong honey flow."  If that is indeed  the 
case, it shoots a big hole in the argument that there is substantial lost  
honey yield due to the need for wax production.  So your figures are based  
upon tenuous assumptions, and I'd be careful about extrapolating firm dollar  
figures!


Randy Oliver




On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 3:39 PM, <[log in to unmask] 
(mailto:[log in to unmask]) > wrote:



Randy,  
 
I went back and used your estimate for commercial then modified the  
hobbyist estimate.  The commercial estimate came up to around $10 which  is the 
price another commercial guy on BEE-L said that he would purchase a  used 
super for with drawn comb.  So, I would believe $10 is probably in  the 
commercial ball park.  
 
If beeswax foundation is used and the total super is lost, which can  
happen in SC if the beekeeper is not diligent, the cost skyrockets to around  
$74.  The moral of the story is to keep on top of your  business.





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