Bee Foundation Plastic vs Wax

BEEKEEPERSTIPS.COM

In beekeeping, there are arguments for and against using plastic beeswax foundations. Beehive wax foundation is nearly essential to most types of beekeeping.

Bee comb foundation is a sheet of material embossed with the hexagonal shapes of the cells that bees will draw out into comb.

1. What Is Bee Comb Foundation?

Yellow Leaf
Green Leaf
Wavy Line
Squiggly Line

Bees will build a beehive their way if we give them a chance.  There are some very simple ways where we can almost not use foundation for beekeeping. 

2. Why Do We Need A Comb Foundation?

Off-white Section Separator
Yellow Leaf
Yellow Leaf
Green Leaf
Squiggly Line

The plastic bee foundation consists of either sheets or complete frames. In the sheet format, it is a sheet of honeycomb embossed plastic that can be clipped into a frame. 

3. How Plastic Bee Foundation Works

Wavy Line

All plastics slowly leach compounds into the environment around them. To understand this, let us take a closer look at the structure of plastics.

Plastic Leaches Into The Honey and Into The Brood

Off-white Section Separator
Yellow Leaf
Off-white Section Separator

The Structure Of Plastics

A plastic consists of a polymeric substance that is then rendered flexible by a plasticizer.  

1.

Off-white Section Separator

The Risk Of Plastic Compounds Leaching Into Honey

Plastic varies in quality from manufacturer to manufacturer, and there is actually very little oversight as to the quality of things which end up in the market.

2.

Beeswax is, bizarrely enough, a natural plastic. It is a complex mixture of natural fatty alcohols, waxes, hydrocarbons, fats, sterols, esters, and a whole range of really clever natural chemicals made by the bees.

Natural Honey Wax Foundation

Off-white Section Separator
Yellow Leaf
Off-white Section Separator

Advantages Of Natural Honey Wax Foundation

It is a natural bee product and you are just using what the bees have always used.

1.

Off-white Section Separator

Disadvantage Of Natural Honey Wax Foundation

It is not as strong as plastic foundation. It melts on hot days if your hives are not ventilated properly.

2.

Banner With Dots

ADVICE

If you are a small-scale beekeeper the choices are different. When evaluating the choice of beehive wax foundation to use, the natural honey wax foundation is probably the safer choice. You can market your honey as “plastic-free” and charge a higher price.

BEEKEEPERSTIPS.COM

Yellow Leaf

For more tips and articles, visit: