# bees wax confusion



## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

Do some research on "Top Bar Hives". I think you'll find them to be interesting, as most (if not all) of the wax is produced by the bees themselves.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

One option might be to let the bees draw out the wax and keep your frames managed so that the pure wax drawn frames get filled with honey. Then instead of extracting, do crush and strain. You'd get all the honey and all the wax too.


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## Shamansmith (Sep 16, 2008)

BigDaddyDS said:


> Do some research on "Top Bar Hives". I think you'll find them to be interesting, as most (if not all) of the wax is produced by the bees themselves.



yeah i read fair amount about them but as a whole it seems a bit complected, at least for me, so could one just have a normal langstroth Deep(s) but have like the top bar method but only for the supers? that way you could either harvest extracted honey or comb w/ out differnt comb honey supers?


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## papa bear (Nov 1, 2005)

the simplicity of a top bar is just about any thing can work. look at these pics

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222685

i can not see if you only have langstroth hive it couldn't work. just leave the foundation out, except for a strip on the top bar to get them started.


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## Shamansmith (Sep 16, 2008)

papa bear said:


> i can not see if you only have langstroth hive it couldn't work. just leave the foundation out, except for a strip on the top bar to get them started.


haha im sorry but i dont quite understand your reply. are you saying what i said could work? if that is what your saying then shouldnt one leave just a bit of the foundation left so as to be a blue print for the bees to build the rest of the comb?... well i guess they made perfectly fine combs for hundereds of years by themselves


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm

Maybe this link will help? It's how to let the bees draw out their wax without using foundation.


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## Shamansmith (Sep 16, 2008)

RayMarler said:


> http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfoundationless.htm
> 
> Maybe this link will help? It's how to let the bees draw out their wax without using foundation.


hey thanks man, that clarifyed quite a bit for me....i was getting a bit confused


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## 1reb (Jul 29, 2008)

how much bee wax on aveage do you get from one hive?


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## Shamansmith (Sep 16, 2008)

1reb said:


> how much bee wax on aveage do you get from one hive?


umm idk just started as much as you can get from the cappings of two medium honey supers (and the occassional burr and brace comb)


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