Hive Tool
The most useful single tool for the beekeeper.
What is it used for?
- Prying things apart when the bees have glued them with propolis`.
- Lifting the lid off the hive.
- Easing up the crown board
- Separating a super from the other supers
- Removing a frame from the super or brood box
- Removing nails from the frame- it has a handy hole for this.
- Scraping things
- Removing brace comb from the hive.
- Removing bridge comb from the top bar of the frames
- Removing other comb from the crown board.
- J-type Hive tool - I have one of these.
- Handy Hive tool - I also have one of these.
- Others which are either:
- Too small or
- Too expensive or
- Fiddly to use or
- Difficult to sterilise.
What to look for.
- Not too expensive - you will lose it!
- Brightly coloured - you will drop it in long grass
- Stainless Steel - so it does not rust.
- Can cope with frequent immersion in Washing Soda solution.
- Don't lose it.
- They are too big to fit in your bee suit - they fall out as you bend over
- The paint comes off and they cannot be seen in long grass
- Find a way to hang it on your belt - the tool is already has a handy hole in it.
- Keep it clean
- The hive tool goes further into the hive than anything else - and therefore can pick up diseases.
- Immerse it in washing soda between each hive inspection.
- From the Norfolk Honey Company