Ill have to give this a try, I usually scrape, pressure wash, rewax. Its very time consuming. I reuse my frames for years, untill the wax is totally black. That was a perfectly good drawn frame 😂.
Thank you so much for posting this video! I was absolutely dreading pressure washing the plastic foundations and now I know that it's not necessary. Greatly appreciated! :D
Glad you enjoyed it. Please be aware that this technique only works when the bees are actively building comb ie. during spring buildup or during a strong spring flow. If you try this during a dearth or when there isn’t much nectar coming in, the bees will clean the foundation for you but they won’t build comb.
So, they probably wouldn't want to build comb on it after the fall harvest, right?Thanks for the clarification. The bees are already bringing in pollen here and building up, so I'm thinking it will work great! At least, I hope it will. I hop to get a jump on them and avoid a swarm. They swarmed twice last year! Busy, busy bees. @@lesgold2132
Very good sir…..It’s much better than what I have been doing….I’ve always did what you did and then take them to the pressure washer I have….it’s time consuming and of course….very wet and messy….so I will be trying your technique the next time….Thank You…
Hi robo. This works well in a flow or during the spring build up. New plastic foundation is normally dipped or coated with wax via a paint roller. Both methods work well for me. If there was only a light nectar flow happening, I would run over the surface of this cleaned foundation with a paint roller and apply a bit more wax. The bees will then move it around and deposit it to build comb as they clean up the remainder of the frame. In a dearth, you can put these frames on a hive and they will clean them up but comb won’t be drawn.
If you mean the frames themselves, they have a build up of propolis and wax which needs to be cleaned off from time to time to allow them to seat correctly in the box. Foundation needs to be cleaned off when it gets older as the cells become smaller or change shape slightly. Often there is a lot of drone cells that are formed over time. Some frames need to be cleaned due to wax moth infestation.
So the foundation doesn't need to be totally spotless ?? Mine seem to have mold growth on them as they've been sitting outside for the past year...Any pointers ❓️❓️
The bees clean everything up quite well (especially during the spring build up) A quick hit with a wire brush is all that I do to clean up the foundation. If the bees clean up the foundation and don’t build out wax, try recoating with wax at this point. You should know after about a week.
No. The frames are only in the sun for a short period of time to soften wax and propolis. I’ve never had a problem with warping. Frames also keep the foundation straight as the sun heats the comb.
There is normally enough wax on the foundation and the bees will rebuild the comb. Timing is critical. If the bees are expanding in the spring and building comb it works well. If you put the frame back in any other time, they will clean it up and not build any comb.
