Beekeepers give bees a wax foundation upon which to build comb to store honey. There is currently no organic wax foundation commercially available in the United States. Most beeswax foundation is contaminated due to the use of toxic chemicals used by beekeepers in the hives to treat disease. The chemicals remain in the wax, which is processed into foundation. Organic standards will soon require apiaries to use organic foundation. While organic standards allow plastic foundation dipped in organic beeswax, many beekeepers 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.

By learning how to make wax foundation and demonstrating it to others, we are trying to become more self-sufficient and find a small scale creative solution to a serious problem.

We found that making beeswax foundation on a small scale is indeed more art than science. Each farm will have to adjust the process to account for the small variations that occur in the wax, the temperature of the wax or room on any day, and the equipment available.

We have not yet achieved the perfect sheet of embossed foundation, although we are moving ever closer. What follows is our experience with what works best to date. This is an ongoing learning process, just like beekeeping!

If you want to make beeswax foundation sheet by yourself with a beeswax foundation machine, please contact us for quotation.