# getting rid of foundation from a nuc



## BeeHoosier (Feb 21, 2016)

My hive was started from a 5-frame nuc. I put those 5 frames (all with foundation) into my deep along with 5 foundationless frames. So far the bees have been building comb on 3 of the foundationless frames and for the most part they are looking good. The original 5 frames are looking good as well. I want to figure out a good way to remove the frames with foundation. What techniques and timeframe should I use when getting rid of the frames with foundation since they were the starting point for my hive and they obviously have brood, pollen, honey, etc. I don't want to remove them too soon or put them in position that will disrupt thngs too much. any help or tips would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

Depending on what you have for equipment move the good frames with foundation on top in another box. Place them on the outside walls and remove them after the bees store honey in them. Not sure what your trying to accomplish. You don't like foundation??


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

BeeHoosier said:


> I want to figure out a good way to remove the frames with foundation. What techniques and timeframe should I use when getting rid of the frames with foundation since they were the starting point for my hive and they obviously have brood, pollen, honey, etc. I don't want to remove them too soon or put them in position that will disrupt thngs too much. any help or tips would be appreciated. Thanks!


Steadily work the frames to the outside and up until they are either empty or filled with honey that you can extract.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Unless it's an emergency, I expect removal of a particular frame to take a whole season, or even a whole year. In your case (new beekeeper w/o a lot of reserve comb) I'd plan on a year.

ETA: There are studies that I have read that say that bees winter better on old, dark comb than on newly-drawn combs.

The bees are also drawing comb right now about as fast as they ever will, but the pace of comb drawing will start to slack off in another month or so. You may need to use those frames this winter in order to have enough winter stores. 

Enj.


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## BeeHoosier (Feb 21, 2016)

Riskybizz said:


> Depending on what you have for equipment move the good frames with foundation on top in another box. Place them on the outside walls and remove them after the bees store honey in them. Not sure what your trying to accomplish. You don't like foundation??


Basically I want to go without foundation simply to allow the bees to completely make their own comb. I enjoy watching the bees build it "from scratch" and I like the idea of being able to do cut comb honey in the future and decreasing possible chemical buildup which can occur in the foundation. 

I don't need to get it out right away or anything, just looking at options to taper off the foundation in my hive over time. I wasn't sure what my options were since the broodnest was all on foundation at first and I didn't want to cause undue problems with moving those frames in the wrong manner.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Well, you're not going to be cutting _honey_ comb from the brood nest area, anyway.

Foundationless comb is awesome and I think every beekeeper should always get some drawn simply because nothing else shows off the bees' spectacular engineering ability as well.

But foundation was invented for a reason, notwithstanding the current craze for foundationless frames. 

It's all good, but for new beekeepers, the biggest hurdle to easy spring management next spring will be the lack of drawn comb (of any sort). So I'd keep the energy-investment that your bees have in the frames that are already drawn and keep pushing them to make as many more as they will, rather than planning on taking any out of service in the first year or two. (Assuming, or course, that the only thing wrong with the combs that came with the nuc is that they simply aren't the "popular" variety. ) 

Enj.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Save them combs. Save them combs. Save em!
You WILL be wishing you had them soon enough.
Swarms like old combs. Package bees do so much better when you have a couple drawn frames to give them.
There is no way to give a new colony an instant home that's all ready to lay eggs in. The new brood stimulates growth and comb drawing. (plus it anchors the colony) 
The sooner your queen can lay some eggs the better. 

This hobby is all about raising bugs. Learn to raise healthy bugs and you're on the way to being a beeKEEPER.


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