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Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 9:16 am
by SandyM
I have a few questions for beekeeping/bee keepers

1. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with foundation-less frames for bee keeping and what your thoughts are on it.

2. Is there anything I can use the Propolis for?

3. Does anyone have a recipe for the lemongrass and other essential oils given to bees for their better health? I see I can buy it, but really, I source my EO's through a wholesaler and would rather make my own for less money.

4. I've learned bees drink a lot. So I was thinking of using an old bird bath with pebbles/rocks/stones in it for them to land on. But if wild birds use it, does it pose a problem? Increase mite probability?

Thanks!

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:08 pm
by Bakers Backyard
Hi Sandy,
1) I've done foundtionless frames in a langstroth hive and had good success, and had some very bad combs as well. The thing with combs, is because bees try to maintain a certain "bee space" between combs, one bad comb leads to another, and another. Your best bet is to place a frame with no foundation in between two nicely drawn out frames, and the bees will do a nice job. I've also put an entire box of empty frames on and had the bees do very well, and some not so much. The hive has to be perfectly level in order for the combs to be straight.

2) Propolis - google propolis tinctures. Basically extracting the goodness of propolis into alcohol to use to help boost your health with the many amazing health properties of bee propolis.

3) I have a recipe at home for a homemade version of "Honey-B-Healthy", ill post it up when I get home. Easy to make. I don't really use it, but made it once and have a big jug of it at home that doesn't seem to go bad.

4) Bees will be just fine in the bird bath. I find bees love to drink off wet ground, and the nasty ground around my chicken coop is a popular watering spot for the bees. doesn't seem to bother them, and definitely would not have any relation to mite probability. Varroa mites transfer by bee to bee contact.

Hopefully this is helpful ;)

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:26 pm
by Bakers Backyard
Here are a couple pictures of some foundationless going well. This was a swarm I shook into a box of empty frames, and for the most part the combs were done quite well. There was wires in the frame from the first photo, the bees build comb right over them and they add support, but the other frame had no wires and was just fine. You can see how they built it down in two pieces and then eventually they bridged it all together and filled out the whole frame. Bees are awesome!
foundationless1.jpg
foundationless2.jpg

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 10:39 pm
by SandyM
That's amazing!!! Thanks for sharing your experience and those pictures!! Great!!

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:34 pm
by Bakers Backyard
I believe foundationless is good. It allows the bees to make cells any size they want rather than being restricted to the foundation we impose upon them, they can make as much drone comb as they want, which is more like how the bees are in the wild, and if you want to, you can cut a nice piece of comb honey out of the frame for an amazing treat.
That being said, it takes a lot of observation and culling out bad combs as soon as they draw them, and I've found sometimes makes it much more difficult to move frames around in the hive if two just don't go together nicely for bee space.
I tend to use foundation mostly (plastic), but will put foundationless frames in honey supers if I want to make comb honey. Someday if I get more ambitious I may start culling old combs and putting foundationless frames down into the brood nests, just watch, they may make it all into drone comb! I break extra drone comb out and feed it to the chickens with the larva in it. Protein treat!

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:31 pm
by Bayvistafarm
I have made grease patties for the bees, and used wintergreen essential oil, I think I read somewhere that it repels, or helps with the tracheal mite as well. Maybe helps with the other mites, with the greasiness. Who knows. All I know is the bees love them, and they smell nice!!

I use a chick waterer, with a quail base on it, and the bees use it. I have it placed right outside the hive, on a stool of sorts. They like it, and they can't drown in it.

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 5:31 pm
by SandyM
Grease patties. Can you explain that better? Just trying to understand. Yes I've heard wintergreen is excellent for them. Lemon grass and peppermint is it?

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 6:54 pm
by Bakers Backyard
I think this was the recipe I used to make my own honey b healthy.

http://dchoneybees.blogspot.ca/2011/03/ ... y.html?m=1

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:54 pm
by SandyM
Thank you BB!! Appreciate your time and knowledge :)

Went to TSC to check out bee hive kits. Nothing in stock. Will have to shop around.

Foundation-Less and more

Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:44 pm
by Bakers Backyard
Not a problem!
Bee hive kits at TSC are way overpriced. if you can find a local bee supply shop you will get better deals than the big box places. I know a beekeeper in London, which is a bit away from where you are, but maybe he could point you in the right direction?