Turning a frame without it becoming horizontal.
Once you have fully extracted the frame you can hold it up to eye level
to inspect it. Avoid tipping the frame horizontally as nectar and unsealed
brood can drop out accidentally. Instead hold the frame in front of you
like you would a book and begin to read the pattern. Always hold the
frame over the hive so if anything drops off the frame, it will land in
the Beehaus. Keep all your movements slow and steady, the vibrations
from any bumps or jerky movements will upset the bees.
Rotating a frame - You should inspect both side of each frame. You can
do this by rotating as shown in the pictures below:
Turning and holding a frame
Side A Side A Side B Side B
Looking at the first side of the frame. Lower your left hand and raise
your right.
Now spin the frame keeping your
hands in the same position.
As if by magic you are now looking
at the other side of the frame.
Bring your left hand back up. Reading a frame like a book. Hold
the frame over the Beehaus ensuring
any bees that fall off drop into
the hive.
Normally when you are trying to look at a frame it’s impossible to see the
comb and what’s in it because it’s covered with bees! There are a couple
of ways of dealing with this: either brush all the bees off the comb with a
bee brush or goose feather, or you can move bees with the back of your
hand. This technique is really useful (and quite impressive to onlookers)
because it doesn’t disturb the bees as much as brushing them. Simply rest
the frame you are looking at on the Beehaus and slowly bring the back
of your hand towards the comb until it is resting very gently on the bees.
They will immediately start to walk away from under your hand. After
a few seconds you can take your hand away to reveal a patch of comb
completely free of bees.
You can also blow on the bees to move them, perhaps to check if they
are covering a queen cell. This is useful if you are holding the frame with
both hands.
Of course if you want to look at the whole frame then you will need to
brush the bees off. To do this rest the frame on the beehaus and quickly
brush the bees off onto the tops of the brood frames.
Moving bees to reveal the comb
I wonder what’s under all those bees?
A Beehaus frau’s work is never done.
I knew it! They are hiding honey
from me!
Thankfully the bee brush makes
it easy.
I will use my amazing X-ray glove to
reveal their secrets...
All these bees need to swept away.
Voila! The comb is revealed along
with a ghostly image...
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