I didn’t see this one coming
Yes, I was blindsided by your responses to my recent article where I asked if any of you were still wiring and embedding the foundation in your frames. In a footnote, in the March 2025 issue of this magazine, I wrote:
Personally, I wonder how many of you still use eyelets, wiring, and embedding procedures. It can’t be many of you. Have we reached a point where I should stop referring to wired frames in articles and electronic media? Honestly, I have not wired a frame and embedded those wires in wax foundation in many years. If I don’t hear from anyone, I think that I will allocate wiring frames and embedding foundation as a bygone practice.
Well, I heard from you. You sent me a significant number of responses in support of wiring and embedding foundation. I was caught unawares. Let me defend myself for fearing that wiring wax foundation was a dying procedure.
Through the years, I have watched as various beekeeping appliances were replaced by new, modern devices. Most of the time, these new variations have been made of plastic. While plastic-component use is not universally bad, it is generally not “traditional” beekeeping. Here are a couple of examples.
Queen production procedures
Wood cell bases are now a bit difficult to find (Figure 1). Indeed, even the cell cups are now reusable plastic rather than hand-dipped beeswax cups. Essentially all queen production devices are now mostly from plastic components.
Converting from metal devices to plastic components
The changes have not been all bad, but many of the changes were surprisingly fast. For instance, as I look back on the transition from metal honey tins to plastic 5-gallon buckets, it seems like it happened in just a few years.
Yes, I know it took longer, but it does not seem like the change from metal to plastic was quick. And what a relief if was to convert from metal piping to plastic honey tubing when plumbing an extracting line. Also, extractor tanks on many smaller extractors are now plastic. It’s the way we do bee things today.
Wire-embedded wax foundation
So, just with these two examples, you can see that I had concerns about losing an entire technique of preparing wax foundation. Plastic foundation inserts and single-component plastic frames are readily available — even common. I admit that I have not had this much support for a beekeeping procedure in a while. Interestingly, even the editor of this magazine told me that he still wires frames and wax foundation.
Each of you who wrote stated your reasons and support for the old way of installing wax foundation. I cannot write a review any better than the respondents have done …
