Bee Hive Frames and Foundation

November 26, 2024Kristi CookHives & Equipment

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Compare bee foundation plastic vs wax and learn about bee hive frames and foundations to find the best fit for your hive.

One of the things I enjoy the most about beekeeping is the sheer knowledge that no single technique or theory regarding beekeeping is the absolute only answer. Instead, beekeepers are blessed with the option of selecting from seemingly myriad management techniques that vary across the globe so widely that we beekeepers are known for always having more than one answer to any question regarding how to care for our bees. Our beekeeping equipment is no exception. In this article, we’ll discuss the various options available for both frames and foundation, including the pros and cons of each, to help keep the confusion down and hopefully make the decision-making part of the process a little less daunting.

Purpose

Before delving into the details of the various types of frames and foundations, let’s first talk about their purpose. At the most basic level, a frame made of plastic or wood houses either a plastic, wax, or wire foundation. This frame and foundation combo is designed to act as a living space for the honeybees where they house and store bee brood and excess food stores throughout the colony’s lifetime. A single hive will have between 8 to 10 of these frame-foundation combos per box.

Regardless of the type of frame and foundation selected, the bees must first draw out honeycomb across each frame’s foundation in order to provide a space for both food and bees. Once the comb is constructed or drawn out, each cell will eventually house brood, nectar, or pollen. Over time, the brood will mature and leave the cells, while nectar and pollen collected will be worked into either honey or bee bread.

wonky-comb-build — by Kristi Cook; Regardless of which frames and foundations are used, wonky comb can and will happen. In this box, I was out of freshly waxed frames, and in my rush, I took a shortcut and used frames I knew weren’t properly waxed. My lack of patience cost both the bees and myself time, comb, and lost honey.

Many beekeepers’ primary concern when selecting foundation is the speed, ease, and efficiency with which honeybees draw out this comb on each of these materials. Other concerns include how well the various combinations hold up to rough handling with a hive tool, how the wax and foundations withstand extraction, longevity, and overall costs, just to name a few.

Wood Versus Plastic

The outer frame that holds the foundation and honeycomb may be constructed of either wood or plastic, with wood being the most common. Wooden frames are readily available through any beekeeping equipment dealer that carries hive components, and can also be built with the many free plans available online. Any type of foundation may be used on wooden frames with ease, while some beekeepers elect to forego foundations altogether. Plastic frames, on the other hand, aren’t — at the moment — nearly as flexible. Instead, plastic frames come with a plastic foundation embedded into the frame, making substitution impossible.

The pros and cons of each are somewhat subjective. In my yards, the bees don’t have a preference over one material or the other regarding comb building or food storage. I’ve discovered that rough handling of the hive tool (prying, digging, twisting) to loosen frames can pry the nails loose in my wooden frames. However, my tool breaks the ears and even the top bars off of my plastic frames.

mixing-frame-wonky-comb — by Kristi Cook; Frames of all types may be intermixed in colonies of all sizes. However, when mixing frames with plastic foundation and those with wax or wires, the bees have a tendency to construct wonky comb. However, as with all things in beekeeping, this isn’t always the case, so don’t be afraid to use what you have on hand as you fine-tune your own preferences.

The good part about the wooden frames in this scenario is that I can repair this damage, whereas I can’t with my plastic ones. I’ve also found plastic frames tend to warp irreparably in our hot summer yards when not stored in an upright position, as seen in a hive body. When left beside the hive for a day or two (I often forget things in the yard), I return to find these frames twisted and warped while my wooden frames aren’t. However, I continue to run both types in my yards, as these differences aren’t significant enough for me to prefer one over the other.

Bee Foundation Plastic vs Wax

There are three types of foundation for wooden frames: wire, wax, and plastic. The most traditional method uses a series of wires strung horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across the body of the frame to create a reinforced space for the comb to be drawn. These wires most often must be strung by the beekeeper, as most companies don’t offer this service or may charge an additional fee for the wiring.

plastic-foundation-reuse — by Kristi Cook; One of the benefits to plastic foundation is the ease of its reuse after pest damage occurs. A quick scrape with a hive tool and/or a power washer and these frames are ready to be rewaxed and offered back to the bees. No need to purchase new foundation or rewire a frame.

Some beekeepers take the wire a step further and add a single small strip of wax foundation to the bottom of the top bar above these wires as a way to increase the likelihood the bees will take to the wires.

There is a full-sized wax foundation. Wax foundation may or may not have wires added to them for supplemental strength, but many beekeepers still add at least one or two reinforcement wires to these delicate sheets for added strength.

wired-frame-comb-build — by Kristi Cook; Comb drawn on wired frames doesn’t always meet the sides and bottom of the frames, as many colonies opt instead for the more natural rounded structure commonly seen in the wild. However, most often the comb will be drawn out enough to nearly fill the entire frame, much as they do on plastic and wax foundations.

The most common foundation material, however, is plastic. Plastic foundation, unlike wax, is a rigid material that requires no reinforcement wires. Simply pop the foundation into a wooden frame and you’re ready to go.

Plastic comes in all sizes, and the colors include white, yellow, and black. The white and yellow are best-suited for honey frames, while black is better for brood boxes as the darker background makes seeing those tiny eggs easier than the yellow and white foundations. However, the bees don’t care which color they use, so color preference is truly personal preference.

Each of these foundations has pros and cons. Wired and wax foundation are notorious for blowing out or falling out of the frame during extraction. The process of wiring frames is time consuming and can be rough on the hands, while others simply enjoy the process. Many believe the bees take to wax or wire faster than plastic.

wax-foundation-blowout — by Kristi Cook; While I do agree that many colonies seem to prefer wax foundation to plastic when offered the choice, the blow out that occurs when extracting honey, especially when the wax is fresh, is costly to everyone. Fresh wax foundation must be both purchased and installed, and new honey comb must be constructed prior to the collection of nectar.

But if wax isn’t your thing, you’ll find plastic foundation is easy to install with just a quick snap and no extra tools required. When the comb needs replacing or is damaged by pests, the old comb may be scraped off and the foundation rewaxed before going right back into the hive. No extra expense and minimal extra time spent getting that frame back into working condition.

Out of all the frames and foundation options available today, making a final selection can be overwhelming at times. However, there isn’t a right or wrong answer — just give one a try and then try another one later, if you’d like. This experimentation is the best part of beekeeping for many of us.

Kristi Cook lives in Arkansas where every year brings something new to her family’s journey for a more sustainable lifestyle. She keeps a flock of laying hens, dairy goats, a rapidly growing apiary, a large garden, and more. When she’s not busy with the critters and veggies, you can find her sharing sustainable living skills through her workshops and articles.

Originally published in the September/October 2024 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.