# Dead Hive? Toss All Frames?



## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

Im new to bee keeping. I bought three complete hives a year ago and harvested honey last late summer. Got 6 gallons!

Over the winter I drilled a hole in the top of the hive covers to vent the humidity as I could see lots of water droplets on the tops of the covers. The I positioned a rock on top to deflect rain from the hole.

When spring broke, I opened the hives and one of them had water standing in the bottom. I propped it up to drain towards the entry and left it.

This summer when I checked them again, the two other hives looked fine but the one that had water in the bottom was a wreck.

Pungent sweet smell from it, all frames were black, had weird looking worms here and there, a few bees, but for the most part it was empty.

Do I need to literally burn these frames and remove the hive box? Can the frames be salvaged, or does the mildew/mold just taint it forever?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I would cut the wax out of the frames and melt it down for other uses.
The frames once scraped with a putty knife can be put in a container like a garbage can mix one gallon of bleach to 4 gallons of water and allow to soak a couple of days. Take them out and rinse with fresh clean water. they should dry then store ,many times they will be nearly white.

Drill a 3/4 inch hole in the hive bodies for ventilation and tilt the hive so any moisture can run out the entrance if you do use screen bottom boards.



 Al


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I would like to add.....let the frames and anything else you bleach air out for a couple of weeks before you use them again.


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

Thank you!


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