Author Topic: Foundation collapse (Read 2099 times)

rflegel · « **on:** May 05, 2008, 07:41:23 pm »

Hello,

I hived a couple of packages last week and checked in on them today. I have used wired wax with the pins in the sides for support. Looking in on things today I discovered one colony has had a foundation collapse. This was all new wired foundation so there was no comb built when the packages were hived. I quickly changed the foundation remaining in the hive body that was not at all pulled, or being worked on to frames with duragilt foundation. I have left the collapsed foundation in place as I did not want to injure the queen or any of the bees.

Did I make the correct or best decision in this situation? I will not use the pins with wired wax foundation again! will the bees be able to clean up the problem and move on to other frames without my involvement? I had hoped this would be the case and that I could replace the failed foundation at a later date when the frames involved are not the main/only frames with comb and activity.

Curiously the frames involved were not in the center of the box but were #2 & 3 in from one side.

Kathyp · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2008, 07:58:35 pm »

you probably did not get the wedge in tightly enough. i have never had wax foundation collapse, but i have had it pull loose when i did not wedge it in well enough. in my book, wax beats the other foundations any day. once the bees have attached it, it will not go anywhere.

doak · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:06:03 pm »

You jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.
You should have removed only the ones that had collapsed.
If you don't get the top anchored on the foundation, they will sag,collapse, etc.
If this is new duragilt you may be O K the first time around, with it being for brood.
After two or three years when you get ready to change it out if you don't get a good coat
of wax back on it may as well discard it.

This is what it looks like when you don't get wax back on it.

doak

rflegel · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:29:03 pm »

Thank you both for your replies. My frames are grooved top and bottom, no wedges. The only change for this year was the pins instead of cross wire.

Would it not have been risky and more harmful to try to remove the populated and collapsed frames. The timing is one week from hiving the packages. The Duragilt is in fact brand new. I'm not totally sure why what I have done is like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Please explain, if you would please.

Thanks again!

doak · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:39:22 pm »

Really just a figure of speech.
The duragilt is just hard to work with unless you get it rewaxed good.
The grooved should be used with the hard plastic foundation.
I use the cleated top exclusively, for every thing.
very versatile and holds good if you get it tight. ;)doak

rflegel · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:51:34 pm »

Thanks for your reply. I will add building new cleated or wedge frames to my winter to do list.

doak · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2008, 08:58:29 pm »

Make sure to put the nails in at an angle with the head slanted to the out/away from the frame.
Use the headed type nail, not the wire brad/finishing nail.doak