Bee Frame – Agriculture Dictionary

Bee Frame

Definition

A bee frame is a rectangular or square frame used in beekeeping to support honeycomb within a beehive. Bee frames are typically made of wood and are designed to hold beeswax foundation or starter strips, which provide a template for bees to build honeycomb cells. Bee frames play a crucial role in hive management, allowing beekeepers to manipulate and inspect honeycomb easily for honey production, brood rearing, and colony health monitoring.

Components

A typical bee frame consists of the following components:

• Top Bar: The horizontal member at the top of the frame, which serves as a handle for lifting and manipulating the frame within the hive.
• Side Bars: Vertical members that form the sides of the frame, providing structural support and stability.
• Bottom Bar: The horizontal member at the bottom of the frame, which supports the foundation or starter strip and helps maintain proper spacing between frames within the hive.
• Foundation or Starter Strip: The material attached to the frame that serves as a base for bees to build honeycomb cells. Foundation may be made of beeswax, plastic, or other materials and can be either full-depth or shallow, depending on the intended use.

Function

Bee frames serve several important functions within the beehive:

1. Honey Production: Bee frames provide a framework for bees to build honeycomb and store honey. Beekeepers can harvest honey by removing frames containing capped honeycomb and extracting the honey using a honey extractor.
2. Brood Rearing: Bee frames support the development of bee brood, including eggs, larvae, and pupae. Beekeepers can inspect brood frames to monitor the health and population dynamics of the bee colony and assess the need for additional hive management interventions.
3. Swarm Prevention: By providing bees with a designated space to build honeycomb, bee frames help prevent swarming behavior, where bees leave the hive en masse to establish a new colony. Properly managed frames with ample space for brood and honey storage reduce the likelihood of swarming.
4. Hive Organization: Bee frames help maintain order and organization within the hive by providing defined spaces for different colony activities, such as honey storage, brood rearing, and pollen collection. Beekeepers can manipulate frame placement within the hive to optimize hive conditions and promote colony productivity.

Types of Frames

There are several types of bee frames used in beekeeping, including:

• Deep Frames: Larger frames used for brood rearing and honey storage in the lower boxes (brood chambers) of the hive.
• Medium Frames: Intermediate-sized frames used for honey storage in honey supers, typically placed above the brood chambers.
• Shallow Frames: Smaller frames used for honey storage in shallow honey supers or for specialty honey production.

Conclusion

Bee frames are essential components of modern beekeeping equipment, providing structural support for honeycomb and facilitating hive management and honey production activities. By understanding the components and functions of bee frames, beekeepers can effectively manage their hives, promote colony health and productivity, and harvest high-quality honey products.

Originally posted 2005-03-03 06:37:28.