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I was checking two of my hives today. One has wax frames, the other hive plastic frames. Boths are swarms I captured. The wax is no problem, they are fine.

The plastic has combed and worked out a honey super aboove the brood chamber. Even there is access below in the brood, they have not drawn it out. Any suggestions on how to make them move down or other???

Second question, I mark my hives and food storesfor the winter on my hives and treated as they were treated with apigaurd strips for mites. The honey supers of course are not added until removed.

Another keepkeeper saw this and asked what the markings were and I explained I would not spin the ones marked. Basically he said the Apiguard is long gone and it would be o.k. Who is right? me or the other guy (15 years of beekeeping or the newbie) ANyway, I will still not spin the food supers.

Thanks for the information on both subjects.

Wally or Kurt do you have any comments? You guys have great knowledge.

I intend on never spinning the medium food store ...FYI.

Guess anything they do not have to build from scratch is better. I had a hard time using the knife this year. On several frames, I had a drag of comb in the center of the frame. Not sure if I was holding the knife at too sharp or shalow of an angle or what. Guess I need more practice.

Plastic is much harder to get them to draw than wax.

If Api-gard is thymol, it will not stay in the comb. You can extract them next year. If I am wrong about it's content, than disregard the above statement.

Ron, it sounds like your knife was not hot enough.

Thanks again for the answer Wally. I think I will always leave the food honey supers alone. It was Apigard and even if it is o.k. I prefer no chances. I guess the experienced beekeeper was correct.

If regards to the knife question..I have a cold knife from Brushy mountain. Better to get a hot knife ?

Preheat the cold knife?????

I had no problems with plastic last year with the extraction but this year, I have both. The bees prefer wax frames so I have two wax hives, two plastic hives. No more plastic for me.

has anyone ever tried foundationless frames? i read a little bit about it online sounds kinda interesting.

Foundationless frames are like top bar hives. The first time you forget and turn one off vertical the very least bit, you will have the comb and bees on your feet. There is nothing to hold them except the top, so have no stability at all. Other than that, they are natural size cell, which means varying according to whether they want worker, drone, or honey storage cells.

Personally, I like to turn the frames so the sun shines into them, so I could never use foundationless or tbh.

PS. You can't extract them, either.

Wally - you don't need to extract them because top bar hives are not intended for high volume commercial use. You just cut off the comb, take it to the kitchen and either put it up as comb honey or mash the comb, strain it and put it up as filtered honey. Extra bonus - lots of pure beeswax as the bees draw fresh comb on the foundationless bars every time they are harvested and replaced. Perfect for the small-time beekeeper.