The foundation is VERY important to the hobby and commercial beekeepers. First, I will say neither way is better but this blog will allow you insight to what happens from the start of a nuc.
Wax foundation is probably the highest standard and most expensive way of utilizing foundation in a nuc. Here are some of the problems I have encountered. Bees can and will reject the wax and will build burr comb. Burr comb is totally unacceptable for a nuc. This can delay the nuc maturity for weeks, if the beekeeper does not spot it quickly. The rejection of wax foundation can be just “old” wax, impure wax, and chemicals in the wax. I have even seen bees leave the hive due to poor quality wax foundation. This costs $$$!
Wax foundation does have a drawback, in that, you must support the wax foundation with wire or pins until the comb is firmly attached to all four sides of the frame. This adds to the cost of your nuc price.
The second type is plastic foundation that is either wax coated or non-coated. Either way, we coat the plastic foundation with fresh wax. The bees seem to draw out the comb within days.
I personally like black foundation because it allows the beekeeper a quick look during the quality control period to see eggs, larva, and capped brood in a rapid fashion. We use plastic foundation in our nucs.
In closing, I want to talk about the above picture. This is a nuc frame that has black plastic foundation that was “pre-waxed”. This frame is approx. four weeks into the nuc season. You will see the comb is white. The frame is all white except for the bottom left corner and that “yellowing” is from the pollen being brought into the hive.
If you have any questions on today’s subject please write us! Tomorrow we will discuss what a good quality nuc should look like.
Ray