WSP Beeswax Foundation Sheets - Australian Made

Pure Australian Beeswax, Sized for WSP Frames

Getting bees to draw new comb quickly is one of the quiet challenges of every season. Give a colony foundation it doesn't like and it will drag its feet, build wild comb in the gaps, or ignore the frame while it gets ready to swarm. Give it clean beeswax and most colonies get to work within days, especially once a flow is on.

These WSP foundation sheets are pressed from 100% Australian beeswax by E.C. Tobin and Son in Raglan, NSW, a family business making foundation since 1985. The wax is pre-varroa and free from miticide strip contamination. Each sheet suits WSP frames, the medium size that sits between Ideal and Full Depth, available as a single sheet or a pack of 20.

Why Australian Beeswax Matters

Australia keeps tight biosecurity controls on imported beeswax and hive products, for good reason. Wax can carry disease and chemical residues from wherever it came from, and once it goes into your hive, it goes into your colony. Wax from a known Australian source takes that question off the table.

The pre-varroa part matters too. Beeswax soaks up chemical residues over the years, and many hives now run miticide strips. Because this wax was collected before varroa arrived in Australia, it has never been near those treatments, so brood starts life in clean comb.

Size Guide: Ideal, WSP and Full Depth

WSP is not Full Depth, it's a medium depth size sitting between Ideal (shallower) and Full Depth (deepest). Check your boxes, frames, and foundation are all the same size before ordering to guarantee proper fit.

• Frames: Ideal 13.7cm, WSP 18.1cm, Full Depth 23.2cm
• Boxes: Ideal 14.8cm, WSP 19cm, Full Depth 24.2cm
• Wax foundations: Ideal 10.9cm, WSP 15.4cm, Full Depth 20.8cm

Wax or Plastic Foundation: Which Should You Use?

Beeswax is what bees already build with, so they accept it quickly and draw comb evenly edge to edge. It's also the only option for cut comb or chunk honey, since the whole comb can be eaten. The trade-off is that wax is softer, needing wiring to stay flat, and can sag in a hot box or crack if handled roughly in the cold.

Plastic foundation is tough, won't sag or crack, needs no wiring, and handles years of extracting and rough use. The catch is bees are slower to take to plastic, especially with a thin wax coating, and it rules out cut comb. Choose beeswax if starting out, wanting cut comb, or needing comb drawn fast during a flow. Choose plastic if running many hives and valuing durability over speed.

Wiring and Fitting

Wax sheets fit into the groove or wedge of a WSP frame and are held flat by tensioned wire embedded into the wax. Skip the wire and a heavy frame of honey can tear loose in the extractor or slump in summer heat. Eyelets, frame wire, and an embedder are needed separately, or pre-wired WSP assembled wax embedded frames are available ready to drop into the box.

Storage and Handling

Beeswax turns brittle in cold weather, and sheets stored over winter can crack. Let them warm to room temperature before handling or wiring. Keep them flat, wrapped, out of direct sun, and away from wax moth. A pale, dusty film called bloom sometimes forms on stored sheets, a natural sign of real beeswax, not a fault, and bees don't mind it at all.

Specifications

• Size: WSP (medium depth)
• Foundation sheet depth: 15.4cm
• Suits: WSP frames (18.1cm deep) and WSP boxes (19cm deep)
• Material: 100% Australian beeswax, pre-varroa
• Manufacturer: E.C. Tobin and Son, Raglan NSW
• Pack options: Single sheet or pack of 20
• Frame wire and eyelets: Sold separately

What size hive does this foundation fit?

WSP frames only, the medium depth size sitting between Ideal and Full Depth. It will not fit Ideal or Full Depth frames.

What does pre-varroa beeswax mean?

The wax was collected before varroa arrived in Australia, so it's never been exposed to miticide strips used for mite treatment.

Where is this beeswax made?

By E.C. Tobin and Son in Raglan, NSW, a family business making foundation since 1985.

Should I choose wax or plastic foundation?

Wax suits beginners, cut comb production, or fast comb-drawing during a flow. Plastic suits high-volume operations valuing durability over speed.

Do I need to wire these foundation sheets?

Yes, tensioned wire embedded into the wax is needed to stop a heavy honey frame tearing loose in the extractor or sagging in summer heat.

Can I buy these pre-wired?

Yes, WSP assembled wax embedded frames are available ready to drop into the box if you'd rather not wire your own.

How should I store these sheets?

Keep them flat, wrapped, out of direct sun, and away from wax moth. Let them warm to room temperature before handling, since cold wax turns brittle.

What is the pale film sometimes seen on stored sheets?

It's called bloom, a natural sign of real beeswax, not a fault, and bees aren't bothered by it.

Is this wax tested for chemical residue?

It's sourced pre-varroa, meaning it predates the miticide strips now commonly used, so it's free from that contamination.

Can I use this foundation for cut comb honey?

Yes, beeswax foundation is the only option for cut comb or chunk honey, since the whole comb can be eaten.