Foundation or Foundationless Beekeeping?

A very important decision for the beekeeper is whether to use foundationless frames. One reason for going this route is to allow the bees to build comb with the size of cells they want and need. An increasing number of beekeepers are moving in the direction of  “natural beekeeping”. A frame without foundation allows the bees to naturally build what they need.

Why Use Foundationless Frames? Pros And Cons Of Foundationless Beekeeping

Whether or not to use foundation is a source of disagreement among some beekeepers. Weigh the pros and cons of going without foundation in deciding if foundationless beekeeping for you.

Advantages Of Foundationless Frames

Foundationless Frames Are More Natural

Foundation artificially determines cell sizes which may affect the size of the bees in your hive.

Without foundation, bees build comb and determine cell sizes naturally; the bees decide where in the hive to put drone brood, worker brood, and honey.

Foundationless Lowers The Cost Of Beekeeping

Foundation costs add up as you expand your apiary. Foundationless frames can lower the cost of beekeeping.

As of this writing, the average foundation cost is around $1.60 per sheet. So for a 10-frame, 5-box Langstroth hive (2 deep plus 3 honey supers), foundation will cost about $80 (50 frames x $1.60).

While foundation can last several years (particularly plastic foundation), it needs periodic replacement.

Varroa Mite Control?

Foundationless beekeeping is perceived to lower mite populations. [2] With bees making smaller, natural cell sizes, varroa may not reproduce as effectively as they do in larger cells.

However, there is evidence that drone populations are more prominent in foundationless hives. Drone-sized cells may encourage varroa mite growth.

The science of controlling mites with smaller cell sizes seems unsettled. However, you can try it and see if it works for you.

Comb Honey

Foundationless frames without wires make comb honey easy to extract from a hive.

Disadvantages Of Foundationless Frames

Foundationless Frames Require Level Hives

Leveling hives on even ground can be difficult. We have seen hives tilt slightly after leveling when one end of a stand becomes heavier than the other end.

If hives are not level, the combs may not stay within the frame as bees build it. Outside of the frame, comb can make a mess in your hive if not caught, and fixed, in timely manner.

Cross Combing Issues

Foundation encourages bees to build comb in a straight line. Without foundation, bees may go off in unusual directions building wonky comb. You may open a hive and find some comb crossing several frames instead of within a single frame. Again, it can be a mess to fix if not caught promptly.

Lack Of Foundation May Take Bees Longer To Draw Comb

Foundation provides a base and midsection for the construction of honeycomb. Some beekeepers claim it takes longer for bees to draw out a frame without foundation fully.

Higher Drone Populations

If controlling drone brood is part of your mite mitigation plan, bees may thwart your efforts by producing more drones without foundation. Balance this against the fact that you are letting the bees do what they think is best for the colony (a bee colony is a pretty intelligent superorganism).