Putting Foundation Starter Strips in Frames 

Happy to help! Catch up with me on my active channel "Brueggens Bees" for all the latest work and education that I have to share. This particular video is actually NOT how I do them anymore. I buy pure beeswax sheets (without wires) and cut them long ways. Each deep sheet can make 5-6, ~1.5-2" strips that span the whole frame width. I use a small paint brush to apply the molten beeswax, as opposed to the turkey baster. We'll see you over there!

Ha, turns out it's a suggested video off to the side here. I just let Autoplay do it's thing and it cued up my current idea as the next video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TDz8pRiI1Rs.html

Alex Stonewall That's a great idea! In this case I didn't have a big enough wax container for dipping, and hardly big enough to balance over. But now I do use a larger pot for melting wax which makes things a bit easier.

I always use waxed plastic in my honey supers. I’ve found bees reluctant to build on bare plastic foundation, but happy to build on waxed plastic.

And use a lot more wax eh? Actually it turns out doing the big eyedropper here was a total fail. I took that idea from Fat bee man. I think I have a latter video where demonstrate using a small paint brush for wax application. I still don't know that I've found the total perfect way to do this. I tried using wedge top frames and just mashing it in tight and stapling, that but didn't work. Most of them fell out once the wood relaxed just a little. Who knows, maybe priming the groove like you suggest won't use that much more wax. I have plenty anyway. Time is my problem! Thanks for the input.

In this case I did and it was fine. I don’t do two short strips anymore. I think that was only because I was using up some wired wax. I prefer to do one long strip.

Yes it's best to place between two straight combs as a guide. And as long as you aren't getting cold nights, I"d place in the middle of two brood frames to really encourage quick drawing. They won't always get wonky with it if you place several starter strips together, but there is a higher chance for sure. If they are drawing it quickly, in just a day or so they'll have a solid start, and you can put in the next frame. A lot of times I'll reuse an empty frame that once had a scrap of comb from a cutout or something. But not even a starter strip, just a perimeter on wax residue on the frame. This works just fine as well, but again, put it between two well drawn frames.

OK. Makes sense. Thanks!!

You can try. But it doesn't always work. I tried that years ago. Remember, they don't need the wax as the starter per se. They need some sort of structure as a guide. Otherwise they may draw the wax off at funny angles, not in line with the frame. Even with a short strip like this they can still curve the ends. I recommend at least 2-3" vertical and the whole width of the frame.

Tom Brueggen Nice. Thanks for your advice ! 😁👍🏻

Gapeys Grub I suppose. But if you are using starter strip, why not just use pure beeswax? The big advantage to plastic is RIGIDITY in the whole comb for handling and extraction. Just a small strip of plastic is not better than a small strip of beeswax. Bees don't like plastic all that much anyway from what I've found.

Any bee supplier that sells foundation should be able to get you pure wax foundation as well. I bought mine through Mann Lake LTD I’m sure. Make sure you specify that you want pure wax sheets without wires if you’re going to cut it into strips.

thanks.

I suppose. But most candle wax is paraffin wax and I avoid paraffin wax in my hives.