Video: Added Wax to My Flow Super!

Rendering some wax and rolling it onto my Flow Frames before placing them into the super and then onto the hive.
The heck with rubbing burr comb on 'em! :wink:

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Nice job! Do you have a certain nectar flow that is about to start? If it rained like that in San Diego every channel would be on Storm WatchšŸ˜„ We are wimps here when it comes to rain.

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Thanks @Fireran. That thunderclap scared the heck outta me.
Right now blackberries, privet, tulip poplars, holly, and gray clover are the predominant flowering plants.
Tons of others though as well.

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Hi ya @Bobby_Thanepohn you have to keep us informed if the wax prep you done on the frames worked.

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There several of the ladies up there this morning working the frames after just 13 hours on the hive.

I figured if other plastic foundation is wax coated as an enticement, Iā€™d do the same.
I applied a super-light layer just on the end of the cells.

Iā€™ll capture some video when I get the chance

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That thunder came just as you broke the wax seal. I thought at first it was a sound effect you added. : )

Thanks for sharing the video.

Didja see my hand shake!? LOL

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thank you @Bobby_Thanepohn, when the day come for me to add my frames will give your idea a go! :wink:

Nice work! I enjoyed that video. Looking forward to hear how it worked out.

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The day one results are in and they are positive. Video shortly.

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Damnā€¦
Great vid as usual Bobby, well done.
If I canā€™t get that tune outta my headā€¦

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Thanks for the videos :slight_smile:

Why did you melt the wax twice instead of just once?

I also wondered, due to my old days of making natural skincare with beeswax - if a precaution should be put on there about not getting the wax too hot. From memory wax can explode if it boils too hot?

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@Faroe - The first round of melting was done in water so that the chunky bits of stuff (bead bees, grass, cocoons, etc.) that wasnā€™t wax would be at the bottom of the wax disc when the wax hardened. I scraped that off the bottom so it would not be present in the final product.

The second round of melting was done in a double boiler because all I wanted to pour into the roller tray was wax, not wax and water.

:slight_smile:

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Okay, must have missed the part where you did some scraping (and did it in water).

You could also use a flour sifter maybe - to melt in double boiler and then filter after itā€™s melted?

Water was what was in the pot at the start.
I did not film the scraping bit (needed two hands).

In the video at 1:44 you see the gunk at the bottom of the disc, then at 1:49 the disc is clean on both sides.

Here is a great page on rendering wax: https://brookfieldfarmhoney.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/rendering-bees-wax/

Officially known as ā€œslumgumā€ :wink: and it can be good for your garden if you dig it in. Can also attract SHB though, so beware of leaving it on the soil surface.

Hi there a bit behind the curve as I finally got my flow equipment together. Bees come next week. So I see this video and I just learned how to render wax and in the class I got to bring home a handful. I do not want to mess my super up so I am a bit afraid to do this. You look like a pro, Anyone else put wax on the super.? I assume to help attract the bees.? Is this something needed or just a little boost you thought of?

Some considerable time ago, Cedar, the co-inventor of the Flow frames, suggested putting wax on them if the bees are slow to accept them. However, he actually suggested just rubbing the wax on, like using a crayon, to put the scent of wax and bees onto the frames. I donā€™t think you have to go to the trouble of melting and painting it on. Personally I will be trying the rubbing method first, using some frozen burr comb. I am keeping it frozen and not rendering it to try to preserve the pheromones in it - hopefully that will attract the bees even more. If it leaves messy chunks and streaks of honey, I am not worried, the bees will clean it all up! :blush:

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I just took a spoonful (or hive tool full) from a wax honey comb and just ā€œbutteredā€ one frame with that, when I put the supers on. Harvested 4,3kg today ^^

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It is actually separate at the moment and I know which jar is which hive, but I am not sure that I would worry all that much about it. After all, you are using the wax as a kind of lure for the bees. If any old comb from a different hive works as a swarm lure, I think the burr comb from one hive would be fine in another, providing you are monitoring for disease etc. My hives are all very healthy at the moment, so I am not concerned about transferring disease.

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