Foundation vs. Foundationless Beekeeping: The Pros, Cons, and How-To Guide
When starting beekeeping, one important decision is whether to use foundation or go foundationless. Both methods have their advantages and challenges. Here's a breakdown to help you decide which approach might be best for your style of beekeeping.
What is Foundation and Foundationless Beekeeping?
Foundation Beekeeping involves using pre-made sheets of beeswax or plastic in the hive’s frames. The plastic or beeswax is embossed with the hexagon shape to help guide bees in drawing comb, providing a structured foundation that ensures the comb is uniform and straight.
In contrast, foundationless beekeeping allows bees to create their comb without any human-provided guide. Beekeepers use empty frames, often with a starter strip or a nub of crushed wax in the inner grove of the wooden frame, letting bees build natural comb according to their needs and instincts.
Pros and Cons of Foundation Beekeeping
Pros:
Uniformity: Foundation ensures the comb is straight and evenly spaced, reducing the risk of cross-comb.
Control: Using specific cell sizes, foundation can encourage larger worker bees or drone production based on your goals.
Cons:
Cost: Purchasing pre-made foundation sheets can be more expensive.
Chemical Residue: Beeswax will typically end up harboring chemical residues from pesticides, which can impact hive health. It’s harder to recycle this wax.
Natural Behavior Restriction: Foundation dictates how the bees should build comb, limiting their natural tendencies.
Molly holding a plastic foundation frame.
Pros and Cons of Foundationless Beekeeping
Pros:
Natural Comb: Bees build comb at their natural pace and size supporting their natural behavior.
Cost-Effective
Easier to Recycle the Old Wax: Instead of scraping old wax off of a foundation frame (disgusting and time consuming) you can just cut the entire frame of foundationless wax out of the frame with your hive too. This makes it much easier to process for recycling when it gets to that point.
Cons:
Risk of Cross-Comb: Bees might build comb in unexpected directions, making inspections more difficult. To remediate this, we use a combination of foundation and foundationless frames in the beginning to give the bees some structure and guidance so they draw their foundationless frames straight.
Fragile Comb: Foundationless comb can be more fragile, especially when inspecting hives in warmer weather. Contrary to popular belief, you CAN spin foundationless honey frames. If any of the frames aren’t completely attached, use rubber bands to help hold it in place.
Cole holding a foundationless wooden frame.
How to Start Foundationless Beekeeping
Use Starter Strips: Install small starter strips made from beeswax or wood at the top of each frame to encourage bees to start building comb in the right direction. We typically insert a quarter-size chunk of beeswax into the inner grove of the foundationless frame to give them something to start with.
Monitor Comb Development: During the first few weeks, check the hive to ensure bees are building comb straight. If needed, you can gently adjust comb direction with your hands and even use rubber bands to guide it in place.
Frame Spacing: Use a Langstroth hive with properly spaced frames to help guide the bees in creating straight combs.
Which Approach is Right for You?
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your goals as a beekeeper and your unique style of beekeeping. For us, that’s a combination of foundation and foundationless. Whether you choose foundation or foundationless, both methods can lead to healthy, thriving colonies with proper care and attention.