Can you re use frames

[Olivia9801]

Would it be okay to remove old foundation from frames and re assemble them with new foundation?

I have stripped all the old foundation off the frames and looking at the mess on them was thinking of giving them a going over with a propane torch to kill any bugs that will be on there before inserting the new foundation.

Does anyone else re use their frames?

Regards

Olivia9801

 

[dexter's shed]

I would think everyone does

 

[B+.]

Does anyone else re use their frames?

This might be useful to you
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1069

 

[Arfermo]

Simple answer is absolutely YES. When they are really old it pays to boil them clean with some washing soda and a drop of squeezee. Best if you can get hold of a Burco of some sort - wash-boilers are scarce but tea boilers come up on my local Freecycle site quite frequently. In any case, one can beg for one there too. After some scraping, frames then come up like nearly new ready to re-use.

 

[REDWOOD]

This might be useful to you
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1069

I don't, the price of 2nd quality is so cheap it's hardly worth the hassle, unless you have plenty of time on your hands or enjoy doing it.

If you do boil frames the wood shrinks and you end up disassembling the frames and re nailing them.

 

[Finman]

I don't, the price of 2nd quality is so cheap it's hardly worth the hassle, unless you

If you do boil frames the wood shrinks and you end up disassembling the frames and re nailing them.

They are same size as before. Never heard about shrinking. No renailing.
British frames have huge prices. 2.4 fold compared to Finland.

If the wiring is OK, boiled frames are quick to rewax.

It is difficulty if you have only few hives. You may arrange group boiling happening in society.

Sun comb melter is good because it does not brake wires.

I tie frames to 8 frame bunches. Pressure washer is good in boiling process.
.

 

[RogueDrone]

I'm with Redwood, just don't have the time and stick with seconds at less than £1 a frame.
Use old frame as fire kindle / starter.

 

[Finman]

I'm with Redwood, just don't have the time and stick with seconds at less than £1 a frame.
Use old frame as fire kindle / starter.

We have 100 pieces £ 39. So new sticks £ 0.4/frame.

 

[Tom Bick]

To me it all depends if you are interested in recovering the wax. Recover the wax from the frames then it’s only a slightly messy but easy job to boil the frames and you have reasonably clean frames ready to be reused. Prewired frames are much easier to fit with fresh wax but I guess only slightly more awkward to fit wired foundation. It’ also about time management, if you have spare time on your hands and you like to reuse rather than throw away then reusing frames is a good thing but if you only have time to assemble new frames and don’t want to deal with the messy side of reusing then that’s the way to go for you.

I am fortunate in that I have the time and the tools to make my own frames but also value them so happy to reuse despite costing virtually nothing other than my spare time. I visit my association and my jaw hits the ground when I see what people pay for packs of 50 frames and foundation even for 2nds as it’s easy to say they are only a pound but it soon adds up when you have a few hives

 

[MuswellMetro]

We have 100 pieces £ 39. So new sticks £ 0.4/frame.

winter sale prices for British Standard National Brood (DN1) are approx £26 per 50, so new frames are £0.52/frame

its if you buy them in small pack of ten in summer when they rise to £1.25/frame each, thats if they have them in stock!!!

non standard frames (to the british) are OTT with Dadants or langstroths at £2/frame in summer

 

[enrico]

A solar extractor cleans mine, wipe down the frame whilst still hot. Two frames every sunny day. Soon sorted.
The most important thing is not to always put new frames in though! Drawn foundation is a very valuable resource. Not sure if you (Olivia) meant that you are stripping down every frame after one use!

 

[YorkshireBees]

I re-use mine.

If it's sunny enough I use a solar wax extractor to melt out any remaining wax.

Otherwise I boil then (a dozen at a time) in my boiler. Once to remove the comb and then a second time with washing soda to clean them up.

Yes it can be messy (I have a perfect beeshed to do it in) and it takes time but so does constructing new frames!

Any that aren't solid in construction end up as kindling otherwise I use them again.

 

[Olivia9801]

Many Thanks for all the replies.

I am fortunate in that I have the time and am finding it quite relaxing actually to clean them down!

Its good to know that after starting to clean them, and having a doubt that I maybe doing something that is totally unacceptable, that is not the case!

Will crack on... just a few more to go!

Regards

Olivia9801

 

[itma]

With brood frames in particular, one should properly sanitise before re-waxing and re-use, and that means more than just 'cleaning' or even steaming (let alone just using a solar melter).
The NBU booklet (previously linked on this thread) explains how.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I burn my old brood frames.
It's really messy cleaning them up properly and life's too short.
They are not that expensive in the sales.

 

[Arfermo]

I don't, the price of 2nd quality is so cheap it's hardly worth the hassle, unless you have plenty of time on your hands or enjoy doing it.

If you do boil frames the wood shrinks and you end up disassembling the frames and re nailing them.

Obviously so wealthy and so professional with millions of hives you can afford not to recycle? As for shrinking, what utter baloney. If you did ever recycle so as to not waste the planets resources you would know that remark is patently untrue.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Obviously so wealthy and so professional with millions of hives you can afford not to recycle?

I don't think that comes into it.
I can't speak for Redwood but I have far better things to do and I make savings elsewhere in my life. I grow my own produce and don't holiday expensively any more to name a few

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Can I branch out slightly with this thread?

It seems to me there's a consensus on the forum to change brood comb/frames about every three years (correct me if I'm wrong).

But what about supers? It seems such a waste to destroy perfectly good comb, unless there is significant disease. Immense amounts of work has gone into its production, diverted away from honey production. And a wet super seems to stimulate them. Why change super comb?

What do you do?


Dusty

 

[Finman]

.to live according consensus .. What is that?

You may reuse or not reuse. You may even do your own frames with table saw.

If you have diseases like nosema or AFB, scrabbing is not enough.

You have alternatives, and what are then proper treatments.

 

[Finman]

Can I branch out slightly with this thread?

It seems to me there's a consensus on the forum to change brood comb/frames about every three years (correct me if I'm wrong).

Dusty

At least those who change super combs after 3 years using are wrong.

.