Satisfaction poll: foundationless frames

[DennisB]

Tried it due to not planning ahead. I ran out of frames with foundation and threw several frames without in to fill out the super. They built them out just fine. I was able to extract at a slower speed as well. What I should have done was to mark which frames they were and used them for comb honey. They did a wonderful job of filling the frames out.
This year I will do it as part of my plan.

Dennis

[NewBeeNY]

Hi!  I am curious if the bees draw out the comb more quickly with the foundationless frames versus the plastic foundation frames? 
(My bees do not seem to like the plastic frames and imo they almost appear to avoid drawing comb.)

Also, do you need to put in a starter strip if you are using a grooved top bar frame? 
...or...
Would they see the groove as a starting point/line?

I was just curious as to what others have noticed in their experience.

Thanks!

[Michael Bush]

>Hi!  I am curious if the bees draw out the comb more quickly with the foundationless frames versus the plastic foundation frames?

Yes. In fact they draw it faster than wax foundation.

>(My bees do not seem to like the plastic frames and imo they almost appear to avoid drawing comb.)

That's normal.  But once they do they will use it fine.

>Also, do you need to put in a starter strip if you are using a grooved top bar frame?

Some kind of guide is necessary unless it's between two drawn brood combs.  This can be a wooden strip, a wax strip (usually foundation) a beveled piece, a broken out wedge turned sideways or one row of cells from the last time the frames had a comb in it.

>Would they see the groove as a starting point/line?

No.  They will not.  Not unless you put something in the groove.

[WayneW]

>Would they see the groove as a starting point/line?

No.  They will not.  Not unless you put something in the groove.

I would imagine that SHB and other bee-pests would see this open groove as a nice hiding place as well
As MB said, fill it with some type of starter strip...... I'm using wax foundation cut to 1" strips in my long hive.