Plastic or Wood Frames for Your Beehives

Beekeepers have two options while choosing the material for the beehive frame – plastic and wood. Wood is a traditional and natural frame for the bees. Plastic, on the other hand, an innovation in beekeeping culture. So, here is a quick comparison of both these materials that will help you decide which one to pick for your bees.

There are Some factors that Should Be Considered Before You Settle On the Type of Material:

·        The frame should be easy to work with. An erroneously measured frame will let your bees build the honeycomb where they should not join.

·       You would want your beehive frame to last long. Inferior material will break/crack when you are cleaning the hive and replacements can be costly.

·       A beehive needs to be cleaned at regular intervals and the frame you pick should be easy to clean. Some may need a tool to be scraped of propolis while the others may require boiling or hosing with water.

·       You need to lift the frames regularly so they should be light yet sturdy.

Advantages of Wooden Beehive Frames

·       Wood is natural and bee-friendly. Bees adjust in wooden frames easily. Sustainable sourced woods are eco-friendly and renewable.

·       Wooden beehive frames are easy to repair when damaged. The ones that break can be reused in making other beehive frames using pieces of wood.

·       They are nifty and can be used with both plastic and wax foundation. Plastic foundation fits into the grooves cut on the inner surface of the frame to stay in place. Wax foundation, on the other hand, needs to be embedded in the wax foundation sheet after you have wired it.

·       Wood to make beehives can be found easily. Almost any type of wood works fine for them.

·       You can experiment with both foundation and foundationless beekeeping.

Disadvantages of Wooden Beehive Frames

·       If the wood is weak, it will split easily when you are making the frame. This will cost you both money and time.

·       If the wood you use is dense, then the beehive will be very heavy to carry. Others may be too hard for staples and nails to go in when making the frames.

Advantages of Plastic Beehive Frames

·       Plastic beehive frames are available in different colors. Different colors come in handy while managing bees. White frames are great for honey, while black is perfect for brood chambers as it is easy to identify eggs.

·       They are pre-coated with wax, which helps the bees to accept them quickly. Several bee-keepers add an extra layer to ensure the foundation is covered with wax.

·       Plastic frames are more durable compared to the wooden ones.

·       Plastic frames are good for parasite and pest control. Insects and larvae are unable to get through the plastic frames which keep them from spreading.

·       They come pre-assembled and are ready to use out-of-the-box.

Disadvantages of Plastic Beehive Frames

·       You need a foundation to use plastic frames. Bees don’t make comb on plastic frames that don’t have a foundation.

·       Plastic is not organic and not for organic beekeeping.

·       Once they break, you cannot repair them.

As you see, both plastic and wooden frames have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. You can pick a material which you think best suits your needs.