Frame Holders

Frame holders is the collective name for beekeeping equipment used to grip a frame, keep it safely outside the hive during an inspection, or hold it at the correct spacing inside the hive. The main ones are frame grips (frame lifting tongs), the frame rest (frame perch) that hooks onto the side of the hive, and the frame spacers that fix the distance between frames. Used properly, they reduce the risk of crushing bees, dropping combs and losing the queen.

What is a frame holder for?

During an inspection, frames are lifted, turned, set aside and put back many times. Each of these steps carries three risks: losing your grip on the frame, crushing the bees (perhaps the queen) on a frame set aside, and squashing bees against the neighbouring frames when putting the frame back. Frame holders reduce these risks:

• Gripping: Frame grips hold a heavy frame, or one made slippery with propolis, securely.
• Holding: A frame rest keeps the removed frame upright and safe without laying it on the ground or the hive lid, and frees up room to work in the hive.
• Spacing: Spacers keep the correct gap between frames for the bees to pass through; if this gap is upset, the bees build irregular comb in between.

What are frame grips and how do you use them?

Frame grips are a metal tool that opens and closes like scissors or pliers, with jaws at the ends that grip the top bar of the frame from both sides. They let you lift a frame with one hand, leaving the other free for the hive tool or the smoker.

1. Loosen first: Frame grips will not break the propolis seal. Loosen both lugs of the frame with a hive tool.
2. Grip near the middle: Place the jaws on either side of the top bar, close to its middle; take care not to press down on bees.
3. Lift straight up: Pull the frame slowly upwards without tilting it to the side.
4. Inspect with both hands: When you examine the frame closely or turn it over, hold it by its lugs; a heavy honey frame hanging from a single point in the grips can swing round.

Frame grips are a great help especially for beekeepers with limited hand strength, those with wrist problems and those handling heavy honey frames. The inner faces of the jaws should be serrated, but not so sharp that they crush the top bar. A J-hook hive tool does a similar job in lifting frames, and many beekeepers use it instead of grips.

What is a frame rest (frame perch)?

A frame rest is a metal or wooden rack that hooks onto the outside edge of the hive body and can hold two or three frames. The first frame taken out during an inspection is hung here, which makes room in the hive to slide the other frames across.

• Prevents crushing bees: Bees on the bottom bar of a frame leant against the ground or the hive lid get crushed; a frame on the rest hangs in the air.
• Protects the queen: The queen may be on the frame set aside. A frame on the rest stays right next to the hive, so the risk of it falling or the queen being lost is reduced.
• Prevents soiling: A frame that touches the ground picks up soil, ants and dirt.

Free-standing frame stands with legs do the same job; they are also used to gather frames temporarily at harvest or to sort brood frames when making splits. If there is no frame rest, the removed frame should be stood upright in an empty box or a carrying box.

What are frame spacers for?

Bees leave alone the narrow gap they keep as a passageway, known as the bee space; this gap is about 6–9 mm. They seal a narrower gap with propolis and build comb in a wider one. For this reason, a movable-frame hive only works if the frames stand at the correct spacing. In the brood area, the distance between frame centres is usually around 35 mm.

Types of frame spacer

• Self-spacing (Hoffman) frames: The upper part of the side bars is widened; when the frames are pushed together, the correct spacing forms by itself. This is the most common solution today.
• Plastic or metal end spacers: Parts slipped onto the frame lugs; they keep adjacent frames at a set spacing.
• Castellated spacers: Notched metal or plastic strips fixed to the front and back inside edges of the hive; each frame lug sits in a notch. They are used especially in honey supers for wider spacing.
• Spacing nails: The spacing is set with nails driven into the side bar with their heads left standing out to a set height.

What should you look for when choosing frame holders?

Cleaning and hygiene

• Frame grips and frame rest: Scrape off propolis and honey between hives and wash in soda water. Metal parts can be disinfected with a blowtorch.
• Plastic spacers: They are taken off when frames are cleaned and washed in hot soda water; they must not be flamed.
• Suspected disease: A holder used on a suspect hive must not be used on another hive without being cleaned. With notifiable diseases such as foulbrood, report to the official veterinary service / local agriculture authority.

Common mistakes

• Pulling out a frame with grips before loosening it: The top bar breaks, or the frame suddenly comes free and jolts the bees.
• Laying the removed frame on the ground: Bees get crushed and the queen may be lost.
• Leaving the spacing to chance: Brace comb is built in wide gaps and narrow gaps are sealed with propolis; the next inspection becomes harder.
• Mixing different spacing systems: Frames can no longer be swapped between hives.