Part 3- Dipping Boards to Make Sheets: Volcano Island Honey Co.- Making Organic Wax Foundation

Volcano Island Honey Co.- Making Organic Wax Foundation: Part 3- Dipping Boards to Make Sheets

Wax foundation is a thin sheet of beeswax that is embossed with the hexagonal shape that the bees naturally form for their honeycomb.

Most beeswax foundation is contaminated from the use of toxic chemicals used by beekeepers in the hives to treat disease. The chemicals remain in the wax, which is processed into wax foundation. Most beekeepers purchase this commercial foundation for use in their hives. Organic standards allow plastic foundation dipped in organic beeswax, but many organic beekeepers including Volcano Island Honey Company and Hawaiian Queen Company, feel strongly that plastic should not be used in bee hives.

Making beeswax foundation in a small-scale farm setting is a lost art, there are not many people who know how to do it as the process has been industrialized in developed countries. The fact that it is not possible to purchase organic foundation makes this project a necessity for apiaries who do not want to use plastic foundations.

Richard Spiegel partnered with Michael Krones of Hawaiian Queen Company on the project which was funded by a grant from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
http://www.volcanoislandhoney.com/organic-beeswax-foundation.htm

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• richard spiegel
• Raw Honey
• Honey White
• Organic Honey
• Raw Organic Honey
• Certified organic honey
• Honey Farm
• Honey
• wax foundation
• hawaiian queen company
• michael krones
• sunee campbell

[Ron4bee]

I love the simplicity of the sheet making. What size comb do the bees build on a flat sheet?

Ron. W.Aus,

[fineshooter]

you do dipping little different then us,look at some vidios on U tube type in fatbeeman. like your machine too