Beekeeping 101 - Plastic Hive Equipment
Plastic equipment is in use in some aspects of the US industry. The Walter T. Kelley Company manufacturers a line of plastic hive components. Plastic is also widely used as a wax foundation base, frame pans, and single component plastic frames. Plastic frames resists wax moth damage, do not require painting, and do not require assembly. Some disadvantages are a tendency to warp when exposed to sunlight and difficulty in sterilizing with heat. Various companies use plastic to form containers for bees to store honey in. Such containers eliminate the extracting phase of beekeeping and provides honey in its natural comb.