Cleaning Beehive Frames and Equipment

There is lots of good advice available for beekeepers. Good, but not always very practical or workable. When I did my beginner’s course, I remember distinctly one of the instructors pointing at a small pile of old frames and wax and stating: That’s what you should do with old frames. They went on to say that as it only costs a few Euros for a new frame and wax foundation. Anyone would be mad not to burn the old and replace with new. They said there is no point in cleaning beehive frames. You will get hardly any wax from it and the frames are a nuisance to clean. Plus, they make darn good kindling.

How Best NOT to Follow Good Advice

It sounded like good advice at the time and made perfectly good sense. That is, it made perfectly good sense until I became a beekeeper myself. Then I learned that if there is one thing that beekeepers hate more than malfunctioning clearing boards and drone laying queens, it is spending money. I do not know if we are a particularly mean bunch, but I think it is fair to say that if we can put in a few hours of elbow-grease, and a large helping of blood, sweat and tears instead of parting with our hard-earned cash, then we will.

Whereas the recommendation to burn old frames still makes perfectly good sense. (It will save both time and energy, and, more importantly, reduce the risk of spreading pests and diseases). It largely falls on deaf ears. However sound the advice, most beekeepers I know do not follow it. We opt instead to reuse old frames and replace only those that are broken or otherwise unusable. If you practice comb renewal on a yearly basis or even every two or three years, replacing all frames with new is not economically justifiable for most beekeepers. Hence, in this blogpost I will offer some guidance on how best NOT to follow good advice. We will look at how to reuse old frames, and how to clean and sanitise them so that they are good for future use. I will also briefly discuss ways of cleaning, sterilising and disinfecting other hive equipment.

Pests, diseases & second-hand equipment

Clean frames and comb are nicer to use than old, dirty ones. But that is not the reason we should endeavour to keep our frames clean and the comb fresh. Both frames and comb, as well as other hive equipment, can harbour a wide range of organisms known to negatively impact honeybees. Anything from insects and fungi to mites and bacteria, including Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius, which cause American and European Foulbrood respectively.

The spores from P. larvae can survive in or on equipment, comb, and honey for many years. Therefore, when American Foulbrood is detected, all bees and equipment should be destroyed. This is done through burning and the remains of the fire buried. M. plutonius is non-spore forming but the bacteria can remain on frames and combs for some time and has the potential to reinfect another colony if the frames are reused without first sterilising them and then replacing the wax.

Before moving on to cleaning beehive frames and equipment, I would like to issue a little word of warning in relation to purchasing and using second-hand equipment. Sometimes our eagerness to save a few bob can have devastating effects on our bees. Never buy or use second-hand equipment from unknown sources, as you have no idea what you are getting. If someone is selling or giving away equipment because the colony died, just walk away. If you are set on acquiring second-hand equipment, you need to know why the seller is selling. You must make sure that the bees that were in them did not die out, and you need to sterilise the equipment thoroughly and replace all wax. If you cannot do this or are not prepared to, it is not worth the risk. Just buy new equipment instead.

Sterilising, disinfecting & cleaning beehive frames and equipment

There are many different methods that can be used to sterilise, disinfect, and clean beekeeping equipment. Some are suitable only for particular types of equipment and some will work on certain pests and pathogens. Some will leave the equipment squeaky clean but offer little in terms of sanitation, whereas other methods will sterilise or disinfect but not thoroughly clean it. Many methods involve using chemicals that are toxic, corrosive, and dangerous. Whichever you choose to use, make sure that you familiarise yourself with the products and equipment you are going to use, read any manufacturer instructions carefully and make sure to use appropriate protective clothing and dispose of the waste appropriately.

Steam

Steam is suitable for melting wax out of frames, cleaning frames and to clean timber boxes internally. It is also effective for use against insects, mites, and fungi, but will not eliminate American Foulbrood spores or the bacteria causing European Foulbrood. You can easily and cheaply build a steam cleaner/wax extractor with a wallpaper steamer, a timber brood box, a roof or crown board with a hole for the steam pipe, and a floor with collection tray and a mesh to filter the debris from the wax. Commercial steamers are also available. After steam cleaning, frames will usually require a certain degree of manual cleaning to remove residual wax and propolis.

Blowtorch

A blowtorch is suitable for cleaning timber boxes internally although special care needs to be taken to remove frame runners and scorching the internal corners and cavities. It can also be used on frames but is quite time consuming. It is effective against insects, mites, fungi, and to a large degree in sterilising boxes post-European Foulbrood. Remove all wax and propolis prior to using the blowtorch and use the tip of the blue flame on all timber turning it into a darker shade of brown, but without burning it.

Bleach

Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) is used effectively for cleaning polystyrene hives and plastic components such as apidea frames, queen cages, feeders, etc. as well as hive tools. Equipment should be soaked in a 0.5% solution (Sodium hypochlorite and water) for at least 20 minutes and then rinsed and aired before use. Soak polystyrene hives overnight. Timber hive parts can also be submerged in the solution. Any residual wax and propolis will need to be scraped or scrubbed off after immersion.

Sodium hypochlorite is also one of very few substances that can kill the dreaded spores from American Foulbrood. As the disease is so serious, it is classed as a notifiable disease, all equipment that has been used for a colony which has tested positive for it, needs to be burned. Hence, sodium hypochlorite or bleach should not be seen as treatment for the disease, but rather used preventatively to minimise the risk of spread of the disease. I.e., soaking hive equipment, hive tools, bee suits etc.

Virkon S

Virkon S (potassium peroxymonosulfate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sulfamic acid) is a disinfectant commonly used where there is a need to control pathogens. It has proven effective in sterilising equipment that has been in contact with Melissococcus plutonius, which cause European Foulbrood, as well as various viruses. Virkon S is available in powder form and should be mixed with water to a 1% solution. The equipment should then be soaked, scrubbed or scraped, rinsed, and aired before re-use as you would when using a sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solution. It is important to note that even though the two solutions are both effective, they are not interchangeable, as one works well with AFB and the other with EFB.

Washing Soda

Washing soda (sodium carbonate) can be used to clean and disinfect equipment such as hive tools and smokers as well as frames and timber hive parts. 1 kg of washing soda is mixed with 5 litres of water to make the right strength solution. Hive tools, smokers and other equipment can then be soaked in the mixture. Any items soaked in washing soda will need to be thoroughly scrubbed or scraped with a wire brush or similar to remove wax and propolis. Wash off any residue and airdry before use. For cleaning beehive frames using washing soda, they should be boiled in the same 1:5 solution, then rinsed and airdried before use. Whereas it is very effective as a cleaning method and against insects, mites and fungi, this process does not sterilise the frames or offer protection against spread of AFB and EFB. 

Caustic Soda

Caustic soda (Sodium hydroxide) is very effective for boiling frames to clean and sanitise. The frames are submerged in a mix of caustic soda and water (about 1:20 strength) for 5-10 minutes until all wax and propolis has dissolved, and then dipped in clean boiling water to remove any residue. They are then airdried before they are rewaxed and used. Whereas it is very effective as a cleaning method and against insects, mites and fungi, this process does not sterilise the frames or offer protection against spread of AFB and EFB.

Less Commonly Used Methods

Radiation is not commonly used, but when it is it thoroughly sterilises frames and equipment.

Molten paraffin wax can be used for dipping hive equipment and frames into but is hazardous and not commonly done.

Acetic acid (ethanoic acid) is used for sterilising comb and is effective against the spores of chalkbrood, wax moth and Nosema spp. It is not proven to impact on AFB or EFB. Boxes with frames and comb are stacked and trays of acetic acid are placed on top. The stack is then sealed for a couple of weeks to allow the fumes from the acetic acid to work. Acetic acid is highly corrosive so care needs to be taken not to leave the treatment on too long or the metal in the frames and boxes will be affected. The method is not effective for cleaning beehive frames.

Cleaning beehive frames by boiling

I clean my frames by boiling in caustic soda. If you prefer to use washing soda instead, the procedure is exactly the same. This work is best done during a nice crisp day in winter. It should be no or very few flying bees about to bother you, but still dry and pleasant enough to work outside. Ideally you need two people to do this work. With proper motivation and plenty of cups of tea you can get through a few hundred frames in a day.

Tools and equipment needed for cleaning beehive frames:

• A large pot for boiling (large enough to hold frames either standing up or lying down). Tall beer kegs with the top cut off are great if you cannot source a very large cooking pot cheaply.  
• A second large pot for rinsing.
• Heat source (gas or electric hot plate or open fire and four blocks). Alternatively, you can use commercial water boilers/heaters pictured above. They are large enough to hold half a dozen frames or more and have their own heating element.
• Caustic soda or washing soda.
• Knife, hive tool, and a round stick.

Method for cleaning beehive frames:

• Set up for boiling. If using fire, place two blocks on edge under each pot. Light a fire underneath each and immediately add a few litres of cold water. Add the caustic soda or washing soda to the cold water in the first pot. (Never add caustic soda to hot water.) Top up with hot or boiling water once fire is going well and the cold water and soda has mixed. Add water to within 10-5 cm of the top and bring to the boil. In the second pot, add hot or boiling water and keep it boiling.

• Prepare frames for cleaning. Scrape off the propolis and save if using. Remove the comb and scrape off excess wax to reduce scum when boiling. Save good wax for rendering and use the dark wax to fuel the fires. Remove wires. Snip and pull out but leave the wooden bar in place.

Boil the Frames

• Once the pot containing caustic/washing soda is boiling, add frames. Depending on size of frames and size of pot you should be able to fit 5-10 at a time. Start off at the lower end as initially there will be a lot of scum when the soda is reacting with and dissolving the wax and propolis. Also, when adding cold frames to the water it may take a while to get the water up to boiling temperature again. Allow the frames to stand or lie in the boiling water for a few minutes. You will see a lot of scum floating up to the top. Lift occasionally to see if the submerged wood looks clean or needs more time.
• If the frames are standing and only partly submerged, once the bottom part of the frames are clean, insert the stick through the frames and lift them up. Flip the frames so that the dirty part of the frame is down. Lower into the boiling water and soda solution again. Leave for another few minutes then lift out when all wax and propolis has dissolved.

Rinse and Dry

• Place the cleaned frames into the pot of clean boiling water. Fill the first pot with another load of dirty frames. While these are boiling, flip the clean frames in the pot of boiling water. You can also lift and lower down again a couple of times. This will help to get rid of any scum before finally lifting out and hanging on a length of timber to dry.
• While still hot, wipe down the cleaned frames with a rag. This will remove any bits of wax, propolis or scum still on them. The frames should now airdry and will then be ready to use. If you want to be extra cautious, you can finish the process by soaking in a bleach or Virkon S solution as described above.

Thank you for reading. All the best in your beekeeping endeavours!

Hanna

This article was written for and first published in An Beachaire, The Irish Beekeeper, in 2021

Hanna Bäckmo

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