Cleaning frames for reuse

[SunnyRaes]

We're now far enough into our beekeeping cycle to have a couple of batches of frames that need cleaning. The wax has been extracted, so all we're left with now is the frame.

Given how much "fun" cleaning brood boxes and supers is though, we realise how fiddly and time consuming cleaning the frame is going to be given how thorough we'll need to be, so we're wondering if there is a quick and easy option...?

I'm obviously assuming that people actually clean their frames, and don't use them as firewood... Just seems a little expensive to be doing that.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I waited until I had a large enough batch, to boil up!

I dropped all my old frames, in a solar wax melter, and then cleaned and scrapped, flamed and scorched, and then boiled in caustic soda for 15mins (be careful with this full protective gear, gloves, eye wear etc), soaked in cold water, and then back in the solar wax melter to dry! I've got a few nails to replace, and was it worth it.....(I've recovered approx 100 frames).

which would have cost me to replace, but it's a messy job, and I've not replaced the foundation yet, so some frames may have to be scrapped, and firewood.

 

[sahtlinurk]

clean most of the wax off, get a blowtorch ( as big as you can get ) , lay them on the fireproof surface and torch them. i normally do ten at the time - lay them all out resting on each other and then turn them when one side is done. torch-> ///// \\\\ <- torch. job done

Lauri

 

[masterBK]

Soaking in hot washing soda solution is safer than using caustic soda. However if you bulk buy your frames (as seconds) in "T" sales then probably not worth the time , trouble and the hot water to recycle them

 

[crazy_bull]

What I do is:

Scrape off the worst of the rubbish,

Grab 4-5 frames by the side bars and dunk into boiling soda solution, agitate up and down for 10-15 seconds then turn round holding the other side bars and repeat the dunking.

You may want an old knife to hand to run down between the bottom bars to get the water in there.

I leave the wedge bar in place, but you could remove that and do a really thorough job, but I find it easier to leave in place, yes you will have to give it a scrape when you put new wax in but that's easy.

in my opinion 15mins of boiling is a bit excessive and will probably weaken the wood and cause bowing if not careful.

With a decent set up you can clean several hundred frames in an hour.

You will get a scum form on the surface of the water, take the water off boil and this will settle and is easily skimmed off.

C B

 

[Teebeeaitch]

The quick and easy option? Run frameless hives and forget about cleaning frames.

 

[clv101]

However if you bulk buy your frames (as seconds) in "T" sales then probably not worth the time , trouble and the hot water to recycle them

I'm generally of that opinion. I bought 50 14x12 frames last year in the sales for well under £1 a frame. Scraping, torching, boiling etc seem like a lot of work.

 

[Vramin]

Given that brood frames should be changed every 3 years, and only cost about a tenner, therefore costing about £3 per year per hive - not even the price of a jar of honey - I would say that life's too short! Leave the old dirty wax in too and use as firefighters.

And that's coming from a Cardi!

 

[crazy_bull]

Given that brood frames should be changed every 3 years, and only cost about a tenner, therefore costing about £3 per year per hive - not even the price of a jar of honey - I would say that life's too short! Leave the old dirty wax in too and use as firefighters.

And that's coming from a Cardi!

I find it takes longer to build a new frame than to clean them.... by quite a bit.

I can build 50-60 frames an hour max, I can clean 200 in an hour including cutting out the old wax or nearly 400 if someone else cuts the wax out for me.

One note is I don't ever bother trying to reclaim wax from old brood frames, that I agree isn't worth the effort, I only reclaim capping and super combs unless I get a clean brood comb that doesn't have too many cocoons in it.

C B

 

[SunnyRaes]

Thanks all! That's given me faith that it probably isn't as painful as I thought!

What are you using as a boiling vessel?? I suspect it's not 20 boiled kettles into a washing up bowl!

 

[Queens59]

Burco boilers or old tea urns (if you can get one) For years we used a freebie from Free-cycle but recently it went toes up and we invested in A Burco. OH is now a happy bunny, and I know frames are cheap but I am part Scottish and so is hubby!!

 

[Finman]

.
I have boiled several times 100-200 frames at same day. It is easy job when you tie them into 10 frame bunches. Them soak into 100C lye soplution and they will be like new in few minutes. And wash them too in punches.

Then washing with pressure washer or garden hoast.

If you have 10 hives, it is worth doing.

In UK frames are 2-3 times more expencive than in Finland or in Sweden. Our price is 50 cents/frame.

 

[Vramin]

I find it takes longer to build a new frame than to clean them.... by quite a bit.

I can build 50-60 frames an hour max, I can clean 200 in an hour including cutting out the old wax or nearly 400 if someone else cuts the wax out for me.

C B

That's interesting. I'm wrong then. i had assumed, never having actually cleaned frames, that it would take longer. Life's actually too short not to do it! I'll give it a go when I accumulte enough to make it worthwhile.

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[region2]

I bought a hive steamer (there's one for sale on eBay right now) and steam them to get the wax out. Whilst still warm I strip out the old cocoons and wires and then pressure wash them - seems to work pretty well apart from really stubborn propolis. A quick scrape and then I resteam the frames for one tank's worth of water (about 30 mins) and they're good to go. Frames are suspended throughout so no buckling and no nasty chems!
Reclaimed wax goes through the solar extractor for a clean up by remelting.
Boxes are easily scraped (and pressure washed) when warm - the pressure washer even makes the cedar look more like new.

 

[SunnyRaes]

Hmm... will that hive steamer also deal with the wax in the frames?? In other words, I wouldn't need to worry about getting a solar collector??

 

[BeeJayBee]

... that hive steamer

If it's the same one as I was looking at earlier today, it's a national brood box with a lid and a varroa floor, above a nice-looking and specially made aluminium tray with a spout. The steamer part isn't included.

 

[SunnyRaes]

Yup, that's the one I'm seeing! Looks rather natty actually!

 

[davnig]

If it's the same one as I was looking at earlier today, it's a national brood box with a lid and a varroa floor, above a nice-looking and specially made aluminium tray with a spout. The steamer part isn't included.

neither is brood box, stand or steam price. still not a bad price

 

[einsteinagogo]

I've got a wax steamer, which I also use, it recovers quite a lot of wax from brood combs, but one word of warning or tip, when using with brood combs, do not fill a brood box with 10 frames, because all the comb drops off on the floor, and this seems to "insulate" the steam from reaching the metal floor, so all the wax melts, drops onto the floor and sets.

so I use in two procedures, first time out connect to brood box with 5 frames, give it 30 mins, and then remove the brood box, and use the eke, and give it another 30 mins.

also use rain water in the steamer, and do it on a cold day, when bees are not flying, because it brings them in from miles!

you don't get the brood box usually, just metal lid with spout, eke, floor, and metal grid.

 

[o.stjohn]

You get a well-made metal roof and painted eke, the roof has a threaded connector that I use with a 1" piece of hose to connect to the steamer's hose. You get a metal lined painted floor with spout and a mesh filter on legs that sits on the floor. A box of full frames will fully melt down on one tank full of water and all wax and diluted honey drips out into a bucket leaving sterilised frames and brood box, old cocoons and wires. Not been particularly bothered by bees during the process.