since I now have people to blame if it doesn't work out
YES thats what were here for!
Cotter pins through the holes to hook the mono too works too.
With that many hives your going to HAVE to kick the snot out of stubbornness and go to plastic... When i had twenty hives they were ALL foundation-less, and i was able to manage the issues and deal with keeping them in line. With three times that many hives, I don;t have the TIME to do it. I bought a thousand sheets of Rite Cell and have not looked back...
https://www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-components/foundation/rite-cell-reg/5-5-8-waxed-rite-cell-foundation-black I love the color, makes spotting eggs possible with naked eyes. The bees draw it out readily... maybe not as eagerly as they did foundation-less but when they NEED comb they do draw it very nicely.
When the comb gets old, scrape it off, use a heat gun to melt the scraped wax out of the cells, one of the mini foam rollers with hot wax to re wax them and your back in business.. Nope, not as easy as foundation-less, but way less work... Stinky plastic has its place when your time is premium.
Scott