Using old frames

[Marvelous]

Should I use these old Frames I got Given to me,I cleaned them up pretty good by scraping.The old hive looked in pretty bad shape,I had to put a new bottom on it.Should i scorch them to kill any thing that might be still there? Or should I just burn the whole hive?

[Kathyp]

scorch and keep the old hive bodies.  they can be used for lots of things.  toss the old frames.   frames are cheep and not worth messing with in my opinion.  they only time i don't toss them is if i need one for a foundationless bait hive, or just and extra to toss in a foundationless hive.   otherwise, trying to insert new foundation in a gunky old frame isn't worth the effort. 

[L Daxon]

You can put the frames in a freezer to freeze them for a couple of days to kill of "bad stuff" that might be lurking in crevices/joints, if the frames seems otherwise sound and you want to reuse them.

Of course if you use frames that were given to you, you never know what chemicals the previous bk might have used in the hive, if that kind of thing matters to you.

Linda D

[WPG]

Freezing the frames is good to kill wax moths, but not the American Foulbrood spores.
That is what scorching the insides of the boxes does.

Trying to get the frames hot enough to kill the spores and not catch them on fire is difficult.
Hot wax, hot propolis, dried out glue - a real mess.

Best to build new ones.

Goodluck

[Kathyp]

you can buy them from suppliers by the 100's and they don't cost much.  watch for free shipping.  you may not think you need 100's but you will if you keep up with this hobby  :evil:

[JP]

If they're your frames and you want to save them, I do, if they are still usable. Frames from someone else you don't know the history on, why take the chance?


...JP

[Jim134]

you can buy them from suppliers by the 100's and they don't cost much.  watch for free shipping.  you may not think you need 100's but you will if you keep up with this hobby  :evil:

Just a 100  :shock:


    BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)