Second Hand hive

[Stephenw]

Hi


As some of you maybe know I got a second hand hive with all the parts including frames. I have scorched the hive and I am hopeing to start in May. I was wondering can I use the frames again that are in the brood box and super? I was told the super frames should be ok but not sure about brood frames. There was no foundation in the frames when I purchased it.


Thanks


Steve

 

[Rosti]

You'll need to remove one of the bottom bars and discover whether the rusted nails holding the bottom bar in place are stronger than the thin wood!
The survivors from this exercise will then need a strong caustic boil wash to clean / sterlize them.

My feeling is that your time and the effort / materials to get them fit for use is worth more than the frames. If you are starting up then you can lessen the hit by buying as required.

 

[Teemore]

Steve, ultimately the decision is up to you.

If I remember correctly you got the hive and frames from your friend's father and you hope to get bees from him too. In that case, I see little to stop you using the frames again but as a precaution, boil them in washing soda crystals (outdoors) and then dunk them in clean boiling water to rinse off. leave them out of doors for a week or so to 'weather'. Tesco in Meadow Lane have 1 kg packs of washing soda crystals for ninety something pence.... As Rosti says, if you try to dismantle the frames the wood MAY break.

Your other option is to buy new frames. Th***es will be at the UBKA's conference on 11th and 12th March and you can order and pay for items in advance and collect them at the conference. You might also consider looking at this site: www.beesupplies.ie. Frames are only 1Euro each. Purchasing from a certain Th***es agent based at Cornascriebe should only be done in a dire emergency.

 

[Stephenw]

Thanks yeah your right teemore I got the hive of a friends father but I will be purchasing bees somewhere else. When I got a new super and frames I needed pin nails to put together so I used some of them to nail bottom bars that were coming of and those that didnt need nailing were glued firm.



Steve

 

[Rosti]

Thanks yeah your right teemore I got the hive of a friends father but I will be purchasing bees somewhere else. When I got a new super and frames I needed pin nails to put together so I used some of them to nail bottom bars that were coming of and those that didnt need nailing were glued firm.



Steve

If you have two bottom bars on it make it very difficult and long winded to feed in new foundation to the side grooves

 

[oliver90owner]

make it very difficult

And sometimes impossible. I have never tried that trick. Might be OK for the odd shallow, but I would not even consider it for a brood frame.

RAB

 

[Vergilius]

I have been "sprucing up" a second hand hive.

Washed all of it in soda crystal solution.
Dried it all out.
Removed bottom bars and re-foundationed the frames that were still okay.
Binned the ones that weren't.


Ben P

 

[Russel]

First lesson of bee keeping course tonight and as I understand things old frames can be a source of disease and thus expensive in the long term whereas new frames are cheapish and disease free: So scorch the boxes and burn the frames.

 

[Stephenw]

Thanks for advice was wondering what is it about frames that makes them more disease prone? Would the boxs not be the same?


Steve

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Boxes just as prone, but also considerably more expensive than frames. As previously suggested, the boxes will need scorching. Whether you spend time cleaning up the frames as well, or just buy replacements will depend on your dedication to hard work v state of pocket.

 

[Stephenw]

Yea I understand . I have scorched every single part of hive so hope theis helps.


Thanks everyone