Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: DonMcJr on April 28, 2014, 04:29:05 am
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Ok I saw the Fat Bee Man Video installing wax foundation using fishing line. He said hes used it for years and no problems.
Read other places the bees eat it and try to pull it out.
Anyone here try it and your thoughts? Im a fisherman and have the line on hand and its cheaper than wire...
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Iv'e not tried it. I like popping a rite cell foundation in and presto, done!
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I tried it. Few frames are filled nicely the rest bees chewed the wax out where the fishing line touched the wax. I won't use ever again.
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Was the fishing line in an "x" or straight across?
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Ever see how brittle old fishing line is? You would have to use 20lb test for it to last long.
Just use the wire that was intended for wax frames or go to plastic and be done with it. MTC
You got dandelions over there Don?
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Ever see how brittle old fishing line is? You would have to use 20lb test for it to last long.
Just use the wire that was intended for wax frames or go to plastic and be done with it.
If I may quote Sweet Brown, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" :laugh:
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Curious... if the bees bite away at the fishing line and bit of it gets stuck in the wax, then those bits just might end up in the honey. A thought.
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Fishing line works well. Wiring frames main function is to help keep the foundation from warping and bowing before the bees get it pulled out. It does aid in support for extracting new comb but if you run the extractor right you shouldn't blow out the frames except on rare occasions wired or not. ;)
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Curious... if the bees bite away at the fishing line and bit of it gets stuck in the wax, then those bits just might end up in the honey. A thought.
The bees will carry it out and toss it. If it does end up in the honey the strainer should catch it when extracting
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No dandelion s yet... not even close to having any yet...
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I only use deeps and I've wired several of them with 20 lb test fishing line. I only do this when I want the bees to draw foundationless frames. The bees build the wax, incorporating the line in the wax. I've had not problems with them and have not seen the bees chew the line. It worked pretty good for me.
But Plasticell sure is quicker and easier.
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I want to use real wax for some deeps so I can easily cut out queen cells...so I figued since its only 20 frames the fishing line wohld be ok. Really I just wanted to make them up now and not wait for an order online of the wire and such...
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Fishing line works well. Wiring frames main function is to help keep the foundation from warping and bowing before the bees get it pulled out. It does aid in support for extracting new comb but if you run the extractor right you shouldn't blow out the frames except on rare occasions wired or not. ;)
What RR said..
I HAD some deeps strung with 40 lb Big game line and never had any problems with them. AFAIK the new owner is still using them.
Mono line doesnt degrade badly unless it is left in the sunlight. I have six year old 40 lb big game line that I still restring my river poles with, so I cant imagine degradation being a problem before those frames need to be rotated out.
I think its a matter of preference and method mostly.. If your using them as brood frames you do not intend to extract. what difference will it make if the bees eventually hew the line? By then, the wax will be stiff enough to handle and should be well attached to the frames.
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I can tell the mono attempts because the frames have a large X chewed through the center of the frames. They also love to build QC on the bottom of that top V. I went back to wire but your results may vary. I had a frame the other day labeled as Mono and it looked just as pretty as the rest of them.
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Well I had some braid fishing line that I didn't need so I used that and I didn't use the "x" I went back and forth cause I just figured the bees will like that better.
We shall see how it goes! 8)