replacing old brood frames

[gingerbees]

Advice please! We are newbies - 1st season and the frames we got with our nuc are pretty old and tatty, holes etc.
What is the best way to replace them without upsetting the girls?

Since May we have expanded from a 5 frame nuc to a healthy 9 frame brood box. So now have a mix of old and new frames. I am guessing we should try and get them to the outside position but is there a good time of year to do this?
We are on National frames.

 

[Davelin]

Well I'm no expert, but have a similar problem in that my nucs were 5 frames national and I added some DIY extensions as I have 14 x 12 brood boxes. These work OK but I want to replace them. I noticed the other day during inspection that a couple of the frames had all recently hatched brood and no sign of new eggs, must have caught them at the right time, so I quickly moved these towards the edge of the brood. Hopefully as egg laying reduces over the next month or so should be chance to move some more outwards, although i am not going to try to change them all this year.

 

[isc26]

As the old frames become free of brood later in the year, move them to the outside. If they then get filled with honey stores no problem just replace them in the spring once those store have been used up but before queen starts laying in earnest.

 

[RogueDrone]

When inspecting I remove one end frame and slide all others across as they are removed. The end frame that came out first is kept out until the final frameis inspected then put back in the last position this moves the frames from front to back (left to right) and give a chance to remove damaged frames . All frames could be replaced over a couple of months or quicker .

 

[cak29]

Useful thread, I have the same issue with the original nuc frames on mine, might wait until next year to do this now though

 

[Arfermo]

Not too late to do a Bailey comb change - but you need spare boxes and frames.

 

[moby]

QUOTE=RogueDrone;152706]When inspecting I remove one end frame and slide all others across as they are removed. The end frame that came out first is kept out until the final frameis inspected then put back in the last position this moves the frames from front to back (left to right) and give a chance to remove damaged frames . All frames could be replaced over a couple of months or quicker .[/QUOTE]

:iagree

 

[enrico]

Rogue drone has hit the nail on the head. So easy. Lay the first frame out across the end five frames to keep bees underneath quiet (Better than a cloth) Shift them all along one and put layed frame in at other end! As the old grotty frames get to the end they will be mainly stores, change them for new frames one on each inspection.
E

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Not too late to do a Bailey comb change - but you need spare boxes and frames.

No need, no disease we know of and unnecessary for a beginner to deal with, there's only a few frames that need changing and these can be moved out over time - some this season and some next.
Easy.

 

[RogueDrone]

Rogue drone has hit the nail on the head. So easy. Lay the first frame out across the end five frames to keep bees underneath quiet (Better than a cloth) Shift them all along one and put layed frame in at other end! As the old grotty frames get to the end they will be mainly stores, change them for new frames one on each inspection.
E

Nice to know I'm doing something right and as someone always says KISS

 

[gingerbees]

Great, thank you for your useful comments - i was slightly worried about posting as there are a lot of 'strong opinions' in this forum but you have all reassured me.

 

[Baggyone]

I just make sure her madge aint on the frame and then simply remove it putting a new frame at the end of the brood box.

This year has been a little different as I have gone onto 14x12's but the principal will be used next year. I find the loss of any brood not to be a problem as long as the colony is going well.

Baggy