how do you store your frames?

[rue]

When I first became a beekeeper I naively left my foundation frames in a plastic box in the shed and was dismayed to discover that the moth had got in.  I spoke to an experienced bee keeper and he uses a chemical to keep out the moth (cant spell it but think its foxtroxin).  Im organic so this just wouldnt do.  At the same time I had acquired a 2nd fridge freezer to keep non edibles in and I learnt to freeze the frames/stickies.  I then wrap them in plastic and put in a plastic box with lid and cover with sheets and keep in the house.  This has worked for 18 months.  I do worry that I might attract bugs (ants cockroaches) into the house but havent so far.  They also have to go under the grandies bunk beds (we have a tiny house) which makes me nervous due to bug worries lol.  This works OK but I imagined would be more difficult with more hives.  I only have one hive currently.  How do you manage storing frmase/wax organically and keep the wax moth out?  Oh we are in Perth Australia and have perfect temperature for moths.

[buzzbee]

Freeze the boxes and seal in bags. Or Store them somewhere where they get a lot of light. Waxmoths are not fond of bright areas.

[Joe D]

I have been putting mine in 55 gal trash bags and sealing the bags.  It works fine unless a rat eats holes in the bag.  My UPS driver told me he could get me some 55 gal food grade drums with removeable  tops.  I think I may take the frames only and put them in the drums this year. 

Good luck to you and your bees.




Joe

[Eric Bosworth]

Interesting. I am foundationless. I just take the wax melt it down and sell it.

[rue]

interesting to read your replies- thanks : )

[Culley]

Eric, do you make them draw new combs for honey supers each year? Have you always done it this way? I've been doing the same as you pretty much but I'd like to try storing combs.

I read about Amish folk hanging them up in the ceiling of a barn where they'll get lots of light and air. I was thinking of trying something like this. Maybe hang up a 1x2 or 1x3 metre piece of chicken wire and put them on that? Wonder if that would work.

[Eric Bosworth]

Eric, do you make them draw new combs for honey supers each year? Have you always done it this way? I've been doing the same as you pretty much but I'd like to try storing combs.

I read about Amish folk hanging them up in the ceiling of a barn where they'll get lots of light and air. I was thinking of trying something like this. Maybe hang up a 1x2 or 1x3 metre piece of chicken wire and put them on that? Wonder if that would work.

I crush and strain honey or sell comb honey so there is nothing left to put back in the hive except the wood.

[Michael Bush]

I try to keep mine on the hive until it's freezing and where it's freezing until they need to go on the hives...

[OldMech]

I try to keep mine on the hive until it's freezing and where it's freezing until they need to go on the hives...

   best way right there if you wont use any chems like BT...
   My wife wanted a couple frames to put on top of the kitchen cabinets..  Great.. I put them up there, open air and light...  about two weeks later she told me a spider was making webs on the combs...  nope, wax moth had them riddled....    I froze a couple combs, and replaced the ruined ones.. two weeks later, more webs....    Open air and light seem to make no difference at all for me..  It took BT to keep her display pieces pristine, in your case, freezing and wrapping securely should work.

[Michael Bush]

>you wont use any chems like BT...

Bt is a bacteria.

[Tightwad]

I have two hive that dent make it this winter. I know what happen to them. My question is this the hives has a lot of uncap ed sucker water and a lot of capped frames. How do i store the farms with all the uncap ed frames. They are out side I don't have room in the freezer. Do I just keep them box up out side and rinse the sager water out when it warms up ?  I'm afraid that the uncapped sager water will harm the bees when I us the frames.

[OldMech]

Your choices are limited with syrup in the frames..

  Number one choice is to put it on a good strong hive.
   #2 is, MAKE room in the freezer, or find someone who can.
   #3  warm the frames up and as you said, rince the syrup out if possible..
   #4 scrape them down/cut them out and put new foundation in..
 
    What did your bees die from?  Was it something that these new hives will transfer to another hive?

[Duffydog]

I place wet supers back on hives for a few days. Remove them except for one super that Ileave on until its very cold. Then I remove them and stack them in my garage forever the winter. I used to store in the barn but the raccoons damaged everything. They are well protected int he garage. I do check for mice, ant and spiders.

[Jamie]

Hi Rue, I'm a Perth poster, so I'm not going to mention of leaving them outside for freezing, or racoons :D

You really need to have them robbed pretty hard after extraction so they're clean, then perhaps leave them near the hive and let the bees clean them up after. Beyond that, have you thought about those olive drums from gumtree? good grade plastic, airtight lid. I think they're tall enough to get two stacks of frames arranged radially.

[Mark Smith]

I stored mine this year packed in cedar shavings. I flipped an outer cover upside down and sat an empty deep super in it. Then i filled that empty super with cedar shavings. Stacked all my empty comb in suppers on that. Every couple weeks I would stir the shavings a little to release the cedar smell. No wax moth damage. Just like Grandmothers cedar chest she had.