# Hive tools



## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Hops Brewster said:


> Or do you have another super-d-duper tool that requires my consideration?


KW style hive tool.


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## Learning2Bee (Jan 20, 2016)

Never used any but the J Style. A friend has a 5" stainless steel "L" Pry bar style one. It works great to throw in your back pocket. I think all of them get the job done. The J Hook is nice for pulling propolized frames out, but sometimes you don't want to use the J hook because over time it wears on the frame and they pull apart. In that case you'd probably want a "L" style one.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

J-hook all the way.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

J- hook with the J smoothed up and slimmed a bit. A standard L shape I find better though for cleaning frame rest ledges.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

I like to hit the back of the hive tool with the palm of my hand to get the tool started between two boxes. When I do that with a J-style hook on multiple boxes, it hurts, unnecessarily. I like to be able to lift frames up in order to grab them with my frame grabber or by hand. The J hook is faster for me and does less harm to the wax than an L style tool. The KW style tool is useful and desirable to me because it combines the best aspects of the J tool and the L tool. I've used them all. If I didn't have a KW style tool, I would order one, or three.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

I use the pry end on the tool to separate frames then lift one side with the J-hook, grab it with my fingers, lift the other side with the J-hook. It's like it becomes a part of my hand during inspections. 
First time around when I had bees back in the 70's and 80's never saw a j-hook and suffered thru using the tiny pry-bar. 
First time I saw a j-hook I was kickin myself for never making or buying one.

HINT: 
The J part is too fat on the ones I bought so I took them to a grinder and made the J part narrow enough to fit between two frames that are tight together. There is a flaw in the design they're using and the J-hook is just too darn fat.


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## 357 (May 2, 2016)

Disclaimer: n00bee here.

I went with this one to get the best of both the "L" shape and the "J" hook designs: https://www.amazon.com/KINGLAKE®-Be...UTF8&qid=1468611433&sr=8-3&keywords=hive+tool










Sorry, not sure why the image came up so big. Actual size of the tool is about 3" x 10".


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## raku (Jun 13, 2016)

How about this one. Wire cutter included.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

J-hook for working the hives, but this one for scraping frames and boxes.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Riverderwent said:


> KW style hive tool.


Yup. And I like them sharp. 

They'd be really awesome if the could find their way home when I leave them where I'll never remember to check when I next need them.


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## Groundhwg (Jan 28, 2016)

AstroBee said:


> J-hook for working the hives, but this one for scraping frames and boxes.


+1, have both and fine needs for each nearly ever trip to the hives.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Ravenseye said:


> They'd be really awesome if the could find their way home when I leave them where I'll never remember to check when I next need them.


They're with all my pocket knives.


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## kg7 (Jun 28, 2016)

raku said:


> How about this one. Wire cutter included.


I'm having a friend send a note to them and asking them how much to ship here to Eatonville, Washington 98328, USA. Gad... it took me forever to find them on the internet. Ich spreche sehr wenig Deutsch.

And just now, I see that your quote includes the web address..


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## kramerbryan (Oct 30, 2013)

I'm with you 357 best of both worlds


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## Learning2Bee (Jan 20, 2016)

aunt betty said:


> I use the pry end on the tool to separate frames then lift one side with the J-hook, grab it with my fingers, lift the other side with the J-hook. It's like it becomes a part of my hand during inspections.


That's exactly what I do.


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Riverderwent said:


> KW style hive tool.


I've never seen that one. I'll have to consider it!


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

When the J Hook is slimmed as aunt betty describes you can pry loose an end by running the J under the frame lug, then turn the handle down over the side of the box. You can then slide your hand in to the side of the box and pinch the frame end between thumb and forefinger. I have lifted one end of the frame with just the J hook and the other end with the thumb and finger pinch but it just does not feel secure dangling from the hive tool.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

https://www.dadant.com/catalog/tools/tools/m00856-j-hook-hive-tool

The hook is too fat to easily fit between frames. You could grind it down...

https://www.dadant.com/catalog/tools...lian-hive-tool

This is my favorite hive tool.

>Yup. And I like them sharp. 

I like them dull. Sharp tends to cut wood out when I'm trying to pry. The first thing I would do is dull them if they are sharp... I like my kives sharp...


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Thanks for all the replies, folks.
I have amazingly kept my one and only L hive tool for 2 1/2 years so far. And I wonder how. It seems I should try an assortment to find my preference, as well as to have backups on hand. So I will add one of each J-hook, Italian, and KW to the toolbox.

How many hive-tools does one beek need? Maybe just one more...


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>How many hive-tools does one beek need?

At least a dozen...


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## NSBee (Dec 20, 2014)

I like to use 2 j hooks , with 2 of them you can pop a frame out of a tightly packed group realy easy , without rocking it side to seid and crushing bees . the other tool i have found very handy this year is a frame holder/grabber . this is very handy for pulling the frame out once the j hooks have poped it up . fewer crushed bees fewer stings .


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

NSBee said:


> I like to use 2 j hooks , with 2 of them you can pop a frame out of a tightly packed group realy easy , without rocking it side to seid and crushing bees . the other tool i have found very handy this year is a frame holder/grabber . this is very handy for pulling the frame out once the j hooks have poped it up . fewer crushed bees fewer stings .


The drawback to prying the frames up is every so often one will be stuck and it's too cold and "rats I just pried the top bar halfway off". 
The drawback to the "separate frames and then lift" method is burr comb and queen cells. I do it both ways depending on how burred up a hive is. 

Been spending a lot of time lately cleaning up all the burr comb and queen cups on the bottoms of frames. Got where I needed wax badly so I started getting every crumb I could find.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Michael Bush said:


> >How many hive-tools does one beek need?
> 
> At least a dozen...


Found that five was my happy number. Kept "losing" them then finding them but once I hit 5 I started finding them faster than I lost them and then finally quit losing them. What really helped is organizing my tool storage methods. I keep my hive tools in the smoker fuel bucket with matches, some bits of paper, my queen marking tube, white paint pen, masking tape and a sharpie. 

Does anyone else use masking tape and a sharpie to leave themselves notes on hives? It helps me a lot.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

I made a PVC tube in 2" pipe with a cap and screw on lid. It help a lot. I fill it with some water. Helps keep them clean of honey. Started with 2 and now have 5. This size is only good for j hook.


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