Beeswax honeycomb is a much neglected commodity in beekeeping. It forms the majority of the structure of a wild nest in a cavity, the cells that make it up are multi-purpose and used for brood and food. Some say bees store water in cells, but this is probably very rare. Beekeepers entice the bees to make their combs in the rectangular frames that fill our boxes, but we pay little attention to why and how the bees do it, tending to think what they need from a human perspective.

The links on this page lead to several documents that deal with different aspects of comb and foundation.

Storage and protection of comb from waxmoth and pests are dealt with and the treatment of comb to eliminate Nosema spores.

Home-made foundation is becoming more favoured, as there is growing concern about chemical residues in commercial foundation.

There are many references to the sizes of cells within the honeycomb structure. This is becoming much more understood than previously, but there is still much more to learn.

Non-beeswax comb will cover plastic foundation and comb, as well as the use of aluminium and plastic in reinforcing foundation or producing complete combs of these materials. Also incorporated under this heading is a wire grid method of foundation reinforcement.

Starter strips, although an old method, have gained popularity because of concerns about residues in foundation.

Originally written by Dave Cushman. Edited and additions by Roger Patterson.

Page created 07/02/2002

Page updated 29/11/2022