Cut Comb – Reusing Thin Drawn Foundation?
Last Year’s Thin Foundation
Last year was the first time I made cut comb and though I made less honey in weight than other beekeepers it was a success on my criteria as it was pure, gorgeous honeycomb and quick to harvest.
This weekend I checked last years supers of thin foundation to see if it is OK to reuse this year. The drawn comb was brittle and at the bottom of most of the frames and comb was a light dusting of mould (or mold, American spelling). See photos below.
Questions Around Reusing Thin Foundation
This raised a number of questions which I posted on a beekeeping forum with mixed answers.
Q1. Can I use the thin foundation that was drawn last year, this year? I.e. its brittle at present, but will it soften up and be as good as new when the bees get on to it?
Answers:
- The bees will clean it out and hopefully fill it
- No, it will serve better use in the melt pot. Use it to secure fresh foundation with
Q2. In some of the frames, some of the drawn foundation has gone mould. I have cut this out, to leave a strip of drawn comb (1cm) at the top. Is this OK? Or should I start afresh?
Answers:
- The bees will clean it out and hopefully fill it
- The strip should be ok
Q3. In my super frames, could I have no foundation to start with?
Answers:
- The bees will clean it out and hopefully fill it
- You could, I prefer a strip or a sheet of foundation
Plan Of Action
My instinct was to cut out the mouldy comb and leave a clean (if brittle) strip where possible.
My plan:
- Use the blow torch on the bottoms of the frames to remove any residue mould
- Use the frames with no foundation, but space them with frames that have thin foundation already or have a starter strip like the above, to improve chances of straight comb
- The thin foundation that I used last year but was not drawn has no signs of mould and will be fine to use again this year
Note: mouldy brood comb can be reused and the bees will clean it up. I am just aiming to make sure I get the best possible cut comb honey whilst reducing time and cost of creating new frames of thin foundation unnecessarily.
Further Reading
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