Frames must be carried from the apiary to the extraction room and stored after the season. Both require protection — from robbing, from pests and from damage.

Transporting full frames

• Closed boxes or covered containers; full combs in the open trigger robbing immediately
• Frames must not slide; fill empty space
• Keep upright and do not stack on the comb
• Process quickly; do not leave standing for days

Robbing starts at harvest more often than at any other operation, and loose comb is the usual trigger.

Storage after the season

Drawn comb is valuable: it is filled immediately at the next flow while foundation costs energy. It deserves protection.

• Cold storage: The safest method; at low temperature wax moth development stops and freezing kills all stages
• Light and air: Frames spaced apart in a light, airy room make the moth's work difficult
• Away from smells; wax takes them up
• Protected from rodents

What not to do

Chemical products for stored comb leave residues in wax and return to the cycle through foundation. Cold storage makes them unnecessary.

Comb with pollen

This is what attracts wax moth most. Such comb is not stored unprotected; freezing is the appropriate route here.

What to watch when storing

• Dark brood comb goes out of circulation and is rendered, not stored
• Damaged frames are repaired before storage
• The year marked on the frame shows later which comb is due for replacement

The hive beetle warning

Where the small hive beetle occurs, stored comb is a risk. Quick processing and cold storage are then the only reliable measures.