T
Tom Bick
Guest
I doubt the bees would ever waste their time using honey to produce wax. They would use nectar and its clear when there are good nectar flows and a couple of other important factors they can build comb at an impressive rate.
I have not yet attempted for them to build their own super foundation. The one or two frames that I gave them, they started from the bottom of the frame, so did not progress any further.
Jed
My branch offers M'more foundation at ~half list price due to bulk buying and trading in at least 50lbs wax at once
It's a newbie question (and a major drift, but the OP has his answer), so where does wax come from apart from cappings? Old brood frames are not a serious source so, broken super frames, large-scale crush and strain or what?
Old brood frames are not a serious source
Why not? Over a kilo of foundation goes into a 14 x 12 box, so well over a kilo comes out. Might not recover it all, but most can be recycled with care. As per mbc, cappings are the cream off the top.
Thanks RAB. Was working on the principle (read here) and the observation that old brood comb is mainly coccoons. Will persevere harder through the stench of slumgum and make the solar extractor I have promised myself. Attacking brood frames with a heat gun was not the way forward.
Other than hearsay, how do you know the foundation is from China or wherever? presumably, it is not advertised as being from such places?
Other than hearsay, how do you know the foundation is from China or wherever? presumably, it is not advertised as being from such places?
There was an earlier question regarding wiring and extracting 'foundationless' frames.
The extractor does make a difference.
You can extract unwired foundation frames (and I see no reason why not well-drawn foundationless ones) in a radial extractor.
I've never had a problem - both with SN1's and Manleys with a tangentialYou can extract unwired foundation frames (and I see no reason why not well-drawn foundationless ones) in a radial extractor. You may not have such luck in a tangential ...
If you want your bees to have the best let them draw their own, nothing can beat it.
S
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