Cleaning up old hives

[Dadnlad]

I was recently given a couple of old (shed stored) hives that I intend to renovate and get back into use next year. There is no sign of any waxmoth/hive beetle but better safe than sorry

My intention is to scorch/burn off the brood boxes, supers and boards then give them a scrub with washing soda/bleach. Once dried off I'll make good the few minor repairs needed and give them 2-3 coats of masonry paint (externally) then give them all winter to dry out

Is there anything else I should be doing ?
I'm presuming I need do nothing to the inside faces other than cleaning ?

There are a few empty frames (40-ish), do they just need soaking/scrubbing with bleach ? Would steaming them with a steam stripper be worthwhile ?

All advice welcomed

 

[Oscarmonster]

From NBU website

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/downloadDocument.cfm?id=493

"Wooden hives can be dealt with as follows:
First scrape the boxes as described in item 1. Be especially careful when cleaning the internal corners of the boxes and the frame runners. Consider removing frame runners and replacing them after disinfection. When done clean your scraper. Then disinfect in one of the following ways.
a) Scorch with a blowlamp. Make sure that any remaining propolis boils and that the timber darkens. There is no need to burn the timber. Be especially thorough in the corners."

I would burn the frames, not worth the trouble as I presume you don't know where they have been and what diseases they have been exposed to.

 

[george]

I would not bother with the frames if they are of unknown origin and have been used .
Scorch , as above but if they are Cedar hives dont paint the outside , unless its a wbc of course .
G

 

[itma]

I wouldn't paint cedar.
I wouldn't paint other wood with masonry paint. Cuprinol, Shades even, but definitely a wood-targeted paint rather than one for masonry.
I'd hesitate to put bleach on ply ...

If the floors are solid, I'd be looking to replace them with mesh floors.

The roofs do need to be properly waterproof. Renewing the 'tin' may be worthwhile.

Check the sales for packs of 50 (second-graded) frames for less than the cost of 20 primes.

 

[For want of a better word]

The old frames make excellent fire-lighters... and the BBKA recommended matches for crown board ventilation are best used for lighting them with !

 

[Dadnlad]

Cheers for your replies, looks like burning them off should be sufficient for the boxes and just burning the frames altogether

The roofs are the best parts with sound tin or felt, the boxes are homemade, a bit tatty and in need of some protection from the elements, presumably anything water-based (acrylic?) would be better than spirit-based ?

Looks like I'll be needing plenty of new frames- are the sales you mention in the new year ?

 

[REDWOOD]

Cheers for your replies, looks like burning them off should be sufficient for the boxes and just burning the frames altogether

The roofs are the best parts with sound tin or felt, the boxes are homemade, a bit tatty and in need of some protection from the elements, presumably anything water-based (acrylic?) would be better than spirit-based ?

Looks like I'll be needing plenty of new frames- are the sales you mention in the new year ?

most have a Christmas sale that ends the first week of January
garden shades is probably the best protective covering you can give a hive.

 

[Finman]

Ithen give them a scrub with washing soda/bleach.

Doda/lye treatment is not meant to the wooden hives.
burning the sufrace with flame is enough. It is meant to plastic hives.,

To boil old frames with lye solution is another thing.

 

[Finman]

I

There are a few empty frames (40-ish), do they just need soaking/scrubbing with bleach ? Would steaming them with a steam stripper be worthwhile ?

All advice welcomed

If you have "few", you may burn they surface with flame.
50 frames is something to boil in lye solution.

Frames in UK are extremely expencive. Don't waste them.

 

[richardbees]

Agree that you chuck the frames unless they're unused but if you do burn them, save the spent matchsticks for later use!

No need to wash down with anything as blow-torching is enough.

I also suggest easing off and maybe replacing the runners....I've just done exactly that with an old bb because they'd flattened out enough that the bees were propolising under the lugs. The inverted 'v' cavity was packed with gunge.

 

[REDWOOD]

if you know where the frames come, if not don't take the risk

 

[rolande]

If you have "few", you may burn they surface with flame.
50 frames is something to boil in lye solution.

Frames in UK are extremely expencive. Don't waste them.

Indeed. If they're otherwise sound there's no sense in throwing them away when they can be thoroughly cleaned for little more than some effort.

 

[Finman]

.
Actually 50 is not much. A normal hive has 50 frames.

 

[rolande]

and by the time the ones which have damaged lugs or other faults are culled there'll be even less, but so long as the op is taking up a new hobby and not relying on making his living from bees it's still madness to destroy the good ones.

 

[Finman]

.
I remind you about madness, that when we compare
prices your frames in one box costs more than our polybox.

If you keep hives in same place, and migration is not your hobby, you may use simple frames stick. When you put fingers in a frame gap, then youhave a proper space to bees. You need not hoffman frames.

there are alternatioves between top bar and prewired super hyper expencive frames.

What is the price of your frames x 50 for one hive

 

[rolande]

.
I remind you about madness, that when we compare
prices your frames in one box costs more than our polybox.

On a small scale people using BS frames are quite limited as to where they can sensibly source replacements which means they're tied to those high prices unless they do all of their restocking in the yearly sales.

If you keep hives in same place, and migration is not your hobby, you may use simple frames stick. When you put fingers in a frame gap, then youhave a proper space to bees. You need not hoffman frames.

You preach to the converted with regard to the possibilities that simple frames open up -even if they're staple (and not finger) spaced...

 

[richardbees]

That's a lovely photo rolande .... but you could put any old picture frame in a hive and they'd build comb so not really relevant?

 

[rolande]

I suppose the key is to have enough picture frames of the right size

 

[richardbees]

Touche

(With an accent on the e)

 

[rolande]

relevance was to a previous comment about stick frames, natural topic drift... having already shown my views on destroying good kit.