Cleaning QE

[JohnyP]

What is the best way to clean wax off a queen excluder?

After scraping off most of the wax, I set about the remaining wax with a blow torch. Is this a bad idea? It left a coating of wax on the rods which might have narrowed the gaps, resulting in the bees not being able to squeeze through. Would boiling water be better?

Thoughts?

 

[idg]

I'm having the same trouble. Tried heat gun but not really successful. Wire brush after scraping seems to give best results but there must be a better way of cleaning plastic queen excluders?

 

[Finman]

.
hot water and lye, NaOH 1-3%. Or dish washer stuff. Hot loosens the wax and lye turn wax to soap. Then is does not stick back any more.

When I boiled old frames with lye, I cleaned excluders too.

 

[Dishmop]

I'm having the same trouble. Tried heat gun but not really successful. Wire brush after scraping seems to give best results but there must be a better way of cleaning plastic queen excluders?

The only plastic one I had ended up in the garden for the creeper to climb up.

 

[Erichalfbee]

OUCH.......wire brush will take off the coating?
I just dunk mine in hot washing soda. I don't consider it's that important to get every bit of wax and propolis off mine if they are being re-used in the same apiary .

 

[JohnyP]

Who said anything about a plastic QE? These are the nice metal ones with rods

 

[itma]

Who said anything about a plastic QE? These are the nice metal ones with rods

You can get a nice, not expensive, stainless 'comb' to quickly scrape off most of the wax. Then it gets a quick flash over with the blowlamp ...

Mine looks rather different to this, but still does the job http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=excluder&page=2&product_id=1790

 

[Hawklord]

I use soda crystals in hot water. Scraping the metal grid type will remove the zinc plating and then they'll soon start to rust.

 

[itma]

...
Mine looks rather different to this, but still does the job http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=excluder&page=2&product_id=1790

There it is! http://www.thorne.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=6751

Doesn't seem to remove the zinc.
However, I note that one can now get a version with stainless wire. Proper posh!

 

[JohnyP]

Thanks for all the tips. I'll try a soft wire wire brush with heat as i don't like using the chemicals.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

should have cleaned them in the winter when the wax is nice and brittle - use the QX cleaner from Thornes, does the trick in no time without scraping the zink off! doesn't have to be spotless anyway - and as for wax deposits making the gaps too narrow, I think the bees can handle removing some wax if needs be - after all, they put it there in the first pace.
You'll be forever with a 'soft wire brush', and be caeful with heat - cold distort the metal

 

[Dishmop]

I'm having the same trouble. Tried heat gun but not really successful. Wire brush after scraping seems to give best results but there must be a better way of cleaning plastic queen excluders?

..

 

[steve56616]

Mine are also in a mess and have left it till now to sort out.
I was wondering if I am going to use them this year. I read somewhere that they limit the lives of workers and use so much energy getting through them.
Anyone else not using them?

 

[jezd]

Mine are also in a mess and have left it till now to sort out.
I was wondering if I am going to use them this year. I read somewhere that they limit the lives of workers and use so much energy getting through them.
Anyone else not using them?

Sorry but what? had to check the date and that its not April 1st, your suggesting bees use too much energy going via plastic queen excluders? who starts these stories….

100% easy way to clean beeswax off any queen excluders is to simply boil a large kettle and then run the boiling (very hot) water over it while holding the QE vertical, two kettles if needed, job done.

We use a big steam wax extractor for bulk cleaning of wax of them.

 

[steve56616]

Sorry but what? had to check the date and that its not April 1st, your suggesting bees use too much energy going via plastic queen excluders? who starts these stories….
QUOTE]

Just saying what I read. Said they have to squeeze through and it wears wing muscles out quicker.
To a certain extent I took notice as it does seem possible... they cant just walk through without a sqeeze