Foundation

Foundation is the sheet that goes into a frame to give the bees a base to draw comb on, embossed with the hexagonal cell pattern so they build straight and in line with the frame. We stock plastic foundation in black and yellow across all three depths, drone foundation, pure beeswax sheets, and starter strips for anyone letting the bees do more of the work.

Black or yellow plastic?

The color is not cosmetic. Black foundation makes pale eggs and young larvae far easier to see, which is why it is usually chosen for brood frames. Yellow shows up dark brood and is the common choice for honey supers. Both are coated in beeswax to encourage the bees to start drawing.

Plastic or beeswax?

Plastic foundation is rigid, needs no wiring, survives an extractor and can be scraped back and reused. Beeswax foundation is what the bees accept fastest and what many prefer for comb honey and for wax purity, but it needs support from wire and eyelets in the frame or it will sag in the heat.

What is drone foundation for?

Drone foundation has larger cells, which the queen fills with drone brood. Beekeepers use a single drone frame as a varroa trap: mites strongly prefer drone cells, so the frame is removed and destroyed once capped, taking a large share of the mite load with it. See pest control.

Foundation fits our wooden frames. Stocked in Texas and shipped within the US.