We offer 4 different frame and foundation options for our Apimaye bee hives. 

• No frames
• Plastic PRO frames
• Plastic PRO frames & wax coated plastic foundation
• Wood frames & wax coated plastic foundation

Let's go over them and find the best one for you!

No Frame Option

This option is ideal for beekeepers upgrading their hives from wood hives to ours. Since our hives have the same internal dimensions as the wooden hives, you can just transfer your wood frames to our hives and save time and money. If you have a beekeeper friend with extra frames, or would like to buy unassembled wood frames and build your own frames, then this is the perfect option for you.

Plastic PRO frames Option

Our patented plastic frames offer many features that make a beekeeper’s life easier. They are made from food grade ABS and are very durable. The bees will not propolize the frames as much as the wood frames so they won’t be sticking to the hive bodies like wood frames do. This enables a smoother operation while inspecting the hive as you won’t be applying as much force to grab the frame. 

Our plastic frames work with both wax foundation and the plastic foundation. The frames split open from the center, and you place the foundation in between the two pieces and snap them back together. The whole operation takes less than a minute per frame. This is especially a time saver if you are using wax foundation. However they do not work with fully drawn plastic combs like BetterComb.

Plastic pro frames have two support columns in the middle. These columns are useful for the following cases:

Honey Extraction:

When you are using an extractor for harvesting the honey, your frames spin at 30-50 rpm. Wax foundations may break and fall into the tank. Some wax foundations have built in wires to make them stronger. With the 2 support columns at each third of the frame, it reduces the tension on the wax foundation during extraction.

Swarm Relocation:

If you are relocating an established feral colony, you’d like to cut the comb with honey and brood and relocate it with the colony. This is normally done by putting the cut comb in the center of the frame and putting multiple rubber bands around. Sometimes you don’t have enough rubber bands, sometimes they break, but one thing for sure, it’s one more thing to worry about. With our plastic PRO frames, you just put the cut comb between the two support columns and you are good to go. No need for rubber bands and extra handling. 

Comb Honey Production

When you want everything in the frame to be from your yard, and don’t even want to use wax foundation, you use starter strips. You can cut a wax foundation about 1 inch strips and put the thin strip between the two halves of the PRO frames. A half inch wide wax foundation will be exposed and the bees will use it as a guidance and will start drawing the comb from there. When it’s the harvest time, you know everything in the frame is from your yard, and there’s no purchased wax foundation with possibly metal wiring in it.

Varroa Control by Removing Drone Combs

Varroa mites prefer to enter the drone combs and lay eggs on drone larvae. Drone cells are larger and drone development time is longer than the workers and varroa reproduction rate is higher in the drone cells. You can put a 1 inch strip in the pro frames and the bees will build drone combs. By cutting and removing the sections of the combs  periodically as they are capped will reduce the varroa mite infestation by 80% to 90% without using any chemical. 

Plastic PRO Frames & Plastic Foundation Option

Our plastic frames work with both plastic and wax foundation. Should you want to go with plastic foundations, we offer Premier’s  wax coated black plastic foundations. It is easier to see the eggs on black foundation combs than light colored foundations.  You can save money on shipping by purchasing them with your hives or deep supers since they will be shipped in the same box. 

Wood Frames & Plastic Foundation Option

We use Premier wood frames and  wax coated foundations. The frames are already assembled and ready to introduce to your colonies. They are a cheaper alternative to our PRO Frames & Foundations option.