Hive Pry Bars and Hive Tools

The hive tool (hive lever, hive pry bar, beekeeper's scraper) is a flat steel beekeeping tool used to separate hive boxes and frames stuck together with propolis, and to scrape off wax and propolis. How fast an inspection goes, and how many combs are broken and bees crushed, depends largely on choosing this tool well and using it correctly. Because the same tool travels from hive to hive, keeping it clean is also part of colony health.

What is a hive tool used for?

Bees seal small gaps in the hive with propolis and glue down the frame lugs and the joints between boxes. As the season goes on, the lid, queen excluder, boxes and frames become almost one piece. Trying to pull them apart by hand breaks frames, tears comb and crushes bees.

The hive tool works like a small lever: it applies force in a controlled way and separates stuck surfaces without jarring them. A crushed bee is not just a loss; the alarm pheromone released from a crushed bee puts the colony on the defensive and makes the rest of the inspection harder. A calm inspection starts with the right tool.

Its main jobs are:

• Separating boxes: Breaking the propolis seal between the lid, inner cover and boxes.
• Loosening and lifting frames: Loosening the frame lugs from the sides and lifting the frame out.
• Scraping: Cleaning wax, brace comb and propolis from top bars, the floor and box edges.
• Small repair jobs: Removing nails, tacks or wire, and moving frame spacers.

What types of hive tool are there?

Flat (standard) hive tool

The most common type. It is a flat steel bar with one end sharp and straight for scraping and the other end bent at roughly a right angle. The body often has a nail-pulling hole. It is good for separating boxes and scraping large surfaces; thanks to its simple design it lasts for years.

J-hook hive tool

It has a J-shaped hook at one end. The hook rests on the top bar of the neighbouring frame and slips under the lug of the frame to be lifted; when the handle is pressed down, the frame rises smoothly. In hives with a lot of propolis it makes removing stuck frames noticeably easier than the flat type.

Combination and special types

Some models combine the flat end, the J-hook and a frame-lifting lug in one body. There are also long-handled scrapers for floors and small, thin-tipped tools for tight spots. For a beekeeper who wants to work with a single tool, the combination type is practical; for heavy scraping work the flat type is more comfortable.

Frame grip

It is not a hive tool as such, but it complements one: it grips the frame from both sides and lifts it straight up. It is useful for heavy honey frames and for beekeepers with limited hand strength. A frame grip does not loosen the frame; the lugs must first be loosened with the hive tool. For details, see the "Frame Holders" page on the site.

What to look for when choosing a hive tool?

Very thin sheet-metal tools are cheap but bend under strain. A bent tool cannot do the levering job and can slip in the hand and damage the comb.

How do you use a hive tool?

1. Preparation: Give a little smoke at the entrance and wait a few seconds. Hold the tool in your gloved hand, gripped by your fingers; do not put it down during the inspection.
2. Separating the lid and boxes: Insert the tool into the joint near the middle of the side, not at the corner. Press down gently and lift, then repeat on the opposite side. Forcing it at the corner splits the wood.
3. Take out the outer frame: First loosen the frame nearest the wall, which is usually honey or empty. Insert the tool between two frames and twist it gently; loosen both lugs.
4. Lift straight up: Pull the frame out vertically without tilting it to the side; pulling it out at an angle scrapes the neighbouring comb and crushes bees (the queen may be among them).
5. Leave scraping until last: Scrape brace comb and propolis off the top bars at the end of the inspection, just before closing the hive. Do not drop the scrapings on the ground; collect them in a lidded container. Wax and honey on the ground attract robbers and pests.

How do you clean and disinfect a hive tool?

Because the hive tool goes into every hive, it is one of the main routes by which infectious diseases are carried from hive to hive. Honey, wax and propolis residues on its surface can carry germs such as the agents of foulbrood. Cleaning should therefore be a habit.

• Mechanical cleaning: First scrape off stuck wax and propolis. No method can disinfect a surface left under a layer of dirt.
• Washing: A solution of hot water and washing soda softens wax and propolis and cleans the tool. A bucket of soda water and a brush between apiaries is a practical method.
• Flame: The cleaned tool is held in a blowtorch flame until the whole surface is thoroughly heated. American foulbrood spores are very resistant; wiping with alcohol or holding the tool briefly in a flame is no guarantee against them.
• Spare tools: Using a separate hive tool for each apiary or group of hives is easier and safer than cleaning in the field.

If a hive is suspected of disease (such as sunken, perforated cappings or foul-smelling brood), do not use the tool and gloves you used in that hive on another hive. American and European foulbrood are notifiable diseases; report them to the official veterinary service / local agriculture authority rather than attempting treatment yourself. Disinfection methods are described in detail on the "Blowtorch and Disinfection" page on the site.

Maintenance and practical tips

• Store it dry: Carbon steel rusts quickly in damp conditions; dry it after use and store it in a dry place. Do not apply scented oil or anti-rust spray to a tool that goes into the hive.
• Refresh the edge: The scraping edge gets blunt over time. Refresh it lightly with a file, but do not thin it like a knife; a very thin edge splits the wood and breaks itself.
• Make it visible: A steel-coloured tool gets lost in grass and leaves. Painting the handle or wrapping it with coloured tape cuts search time.
• Keep a spare: A tool dropped or lost in the middle of an inspection leaves the job half done; keep a second tool in your apiary bag.

Common mistakes when using a hive tool

• Using it like a screwdriver or chisel: Hitting it with a hammer or twisting it breaks the tip and cracks the steel.
• Forcing at the corners: Box corners and frame lugs split, shortening the life of the hive.
• Lifting from one point: Trying to lift a box in one go tears the comb; loosen it bit by bit from two or three points.
• Not cleaning between hives: This is the most easily prevented way of spreading disease.
• Dropping scrapings on the ground: It attracts robbers, wasps and ants.