Cleaning Brushes and Scrapers

Hive cleaning brushes and wire brushes are tools such as wire brushes, stiff plastic brushes, steel wool and groove cleaners used to clean propolis, wax, faeces and debris off hive bodies, floors, frames, queen excluders and other parts. They clean off the thin layer and the corners left after the scraper and hive tool, giving a surface ready for disinfection. They are used on emptied parts, not on hives with bees in them.

What is a hive cleaning brush for?

Bees constantly coat the inside surfaces of the hive and the frames with propolis, and build brace comb on top of and between the bars; dead bees, wax crumbs and faeces build up on the floor. Thick layers are scraped off with a hive tool, but a thin layer remains in the corners, in the frame grooves and in the pores of the wood. The job of cleaning brushes and wire tools is to remove this last layer.

This cleaning has two purposes:

• Hygiene: Disinfection only works on a clean surface. A layer of propolis and wax prevents the flame or disinfectant from reaching the surface.
• Ease of use: A frame sitting on a clean runner slides easily, boxes sit flat, and the queen excluder does not hinder workers passing through.

Types of hive cleaning brush and wire tool

Wire brush

A brush with steel or brass bristles and a wooden or plastic handle. It cleans the thin layer of propolis and wax from scraped wooden surfaces, stuck-on debris from the floor, and corners. Brass bristles are softer and abrade the wood less; steel bristles work faster. Do not press so hard that the wood becomes furry.

Stiff plastic brush

Suitable for plastic hives, foam hives, plastic frames, feeders and plastic excluders; a wire brush scratches these surfaces. It is used together with hot soda water.

Steel wool (scouring pad)

Used for stubborn residues on metal parts such as metal queen excluders, entrance reducers, metal roofs and tools. Take care that loose strands of wire are not left in the hive.

Frame groove and runner cleaner

Narrow-ended scrapers that clean the foundation groove in the frame's top bar and the runner in the hive on which the frame lugs rest. The narrow end of a hive tool or a small groove scraper will do the job.

Long-handled floor scraper

Long tools with a bent end that are pushed in through the entrance, without opening the hive, to pull dead bees and debris out off the floor. They are used in late winter, on days too cool to open the hive, to stop the entrance becoming blocked.

How do you clean hive parts step by step?

1. Empty and separate: Clear the hive of bees and combs; separate the body, floor, lid, excluder and frames. Keep the equipment from a hive suspected of disease apart from the rest.
2. Rough scraping: Remove thick propolis, brace comb and wax with a hive tool and a wide scraper. Collect the scrapings in a bucket or on a sheet; do not drop them on the ground.
3. Brushing: Brush corners, joints and runners with a wire brush. Loosen stuck-on debris on the floor with the brush and sweep it away.
4. Washing (if needed): Wash plastic and metal parts in a solution of hot water and washing soda with a stiff plastic brush, then rinse.
5. Disinfection: Scorch wooden and metal parts with a blowtorch; use a suitable disinfectant for plastic and foam parts. Details: the "Blowtorches and Disinfection" page.
6. Drying and storage: Once the parts are completely dry, store them in a closed place that mice and wax moths cannot get into.

How do you clean a queen excluder?

A queen excluder gradually becomes clogged with wax and propolis; a clogged excluder makes it harder for workers to get through to the honey super.

• The freezing method: Keeping the excluder in a deep freezer for a while makes the wax and propolis brittle; it then comes off easily with a scraper and brush. This is the gentlest method for plastic excluders.
• Metal excluders: After scraping, they can be cleaned with steel wool and a wire brush; brief, careful flaming melts the wax. Take care not to bend the wires; an excluder whose gaps have opened up lets the queen through.
• Plastic excluders: They cannot be flamed; freeze and scrape them, then wash them in hot soda water with a stiff plastic brush.

What should you look for when choosing cleaning brushes and wire tools?

• Suitability for the surface: A wire brush for wood and metal; a stiff plastic brush for plastic and foam.
• Bristle quality: Bristles that come out easily stay in the hive and prick your hands; choose a brush with a solid body.
• Handle: A water-resistant handle that is easy to grip with gloves on.
• Size: A wide brush for large surfaces; a narrow-ended brush or a toothbrush-sized wire brush for corners and grooves.

How do you clean the brushes themselves?

Cleaning tools can carry disease too. After use, comb out the residues, wash the brushes in hot soda water and dry them. Keep a brush used on a diseased hive separate; wire brushes can be flamed, while plastic brushes should be replaced if necessary. Do not confuse a bee brush (the soft brush used to sweep bees) with a hive cleaning brush; information on bee brushes is on the "Bee Brushes" page.

Common mistakes

• Brushing without scraping first: Thick propolis clogs the brush and the job takes longer.
• Using a wire brush on plastic and foam hives: The surface gets scratched, and the scratches hold dirt and spores.
• Using a stiff brush on a hive with bees in it: Cleaning brushes are for empty parts; bees get crushed and angry.
• Leaving scrapings in the apiary: They attract robbing, wax moths and ants.
• Bending excluder wires: The queen gets through and the excluder no longer does its job.