How to Clean Plastic Frames

Materials

• Putty knife (or preferred scraping tool)
• Bucket
• Hose, pressure washer, and/or warm water (water not to exceed 200°F)

Warning: hot and/or boiling water will cause the plastic to warp.

Instructions

1. Remove the frame from the hive.
2. At your work station, brush off all of the dead bees and other loose debris.
3. Using your scraper, use the minimum amount of force required to scrape off the old comb and wax. Scrape in long strokes, always working from top to bottom.
   Note: using too much force may damage the hive.
4. Discard these scrapings into your bucket. Don’t worry if you do not get it all.
   These scraps can be melted down later for other uses.
5. Next, use the hose (or pressure washer) to spray down the frames. This will remove additional comb and debris. If using warm water, make sure the water does not exceed 200°F.
   Warning: hot and/or boiling water will cause the plastic to warp.
6. Remove excess water and reinsert frames into your supers.
7. If desired, let the washed frames air dry and coat with a thin layer of wax before re-introducing them to your hive.