# Stuck Together Hive Bodies



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

We all (well, most of us) know what a royal PIA it can be to separate stacked hive bodies. What (if anything) has anyone done to help with this? Any ingenious ideas that you've come up with to help?


----------



## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

I actually like the fact that they get stuck together. Wind, weather, animals are less likely to have as much impact. What I don't like is when they glue the frames (burr comb) together. A little is okay, but all 10 frames are a PIA.


----------



## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

When burr comb has attached the bottom frames, separating the two boxes can be tough. I usually just pull the top box off, bring along the 6-8 frames that are attached to the bottom, then break them loose and put them back in place... a pain!


----------



## ralph3 (Jun 3, 2012)

The boxes I build I take the belt sander and round over the top outside edges on supers/hive bodies. They need to be stuck together but the rounded edge prevents you from having to drive in a hive tool you just set it in there and pop it loose. It may also prevent osmosis in the crack during rain.


----------



## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

I keep a wide,flat chisel and a hammer in my goodie box.A light tap separates them.It's also easier on the boxes than fighting them with a dull hive tool.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

beedeetee said:


> I actually like the fact that they get stuck together.


There's always ....one!


----------



## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I use to be concerned about this problem until I learned on Beesource that you pry the boxes apart with the hive tool then lift the top box up 1/2in to 1in up and twist. It breaks all the frames loose at once. Lifting all the frames up with the top box is risky. If you bump one of the lower ones it can fall.
The only precaution is the bottom box doesn't have any weight to it so it just moves with the top box when you twist it. Secure the bottom box in some fashion so you can twist the frames free.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Ace,
Let's try & limit this thread to just techniques to separate stuck boxes (rather than what's stuck all together & how to handle all that once the boxes are "broken.")


----------



## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

Guys I used to hassle separating newly painted boxes, the paint may feel dry but the paint to paint joints always tended to stick together. I solved this by running a strip of 3/4" blue masking tape along thetop of the boxes longest sides
John


----------



## Maryland Beekeeper (Nov 1, 2012)

Piano wire works good
Cheers,
Drew


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Guys,
Not talking about unsicking (is that a word?) recently painted hive bodies or supers not in use. Talking about in-use hives where the hive bodies and or supers are stuck together. Other than the sanded, rounded corners and the hammer and chisel......any other suggestions?


----------



## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

snl said:


> Guys,
> Not talking about unsicking (is that a word?) recently painted hive bodies or supers not in use. Talking about in-use hives where the hive bodies and or supers are stuck together. Other than the sanded, rounded corners and the hammer and chisel......any other suggestions?


Well then I have no idea what you are asking for. Stuck together from what? Propolis, wax, somebody previously stappled the boxes together. Most people use a hive tool for all three and don't think much of it.


----------



## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

snl said:


> Guys,
> Not talking about unsicking (is that a word?) recently painted hive bodies or supers not in use. Talking about in-use hives where the hive bodies and or supers are stuck together. Other than the sanded, rounded corners and the hammer and chisel......any other suggestions?


 Other than a strong back and hive tool as Ace pointed out. I would also be fresh out of ways to do it. However if you come up with a better way then by all means please let us know cause it is a SERIOUS PITA to get them apart. Especially when the honey starts to cool down and become viscous.

Sorry I have an after thought. Hire cheap labor and sit back and watch them unstick the boxes!


----------



## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Are we seriously asking about separating one box from another? Is this a real problem cause I do have one suggestion that might help.


----------



## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/acebird1/Hive Bodies/HiveBodies007.jpg
http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv333/acebird1/Hive Bodies/HiveBodies011.jpg

If you look at the way I make my boxes there is an end block on the end of the side walls so from one box to the other is end grain in the corners. I make this block just a tad shorter then the height of the walls and divvy up the difference. When the boxes are stacked it leaves just a small space to pry with the hive tool and you are prying against end grain not parallel grain. I also take the belt sander and 45 chamfer the outside corner just a little.


----------



## jrbbees (Apr 4, 2010)

I have considered coating the bottom and top of each box with a very light coat of petrolium jelly.
But I have not tried it.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

That's the idea Ace.......I guess I was stumbling over the English language. I was just wondering what if anything anyone did by way of modifying boxes to make it easier to break them apart w/o damaging the box.....


----------



## John D. (Sep 5, 2007)

I run parafin wax on all edges (beeswax works great too) prior to stacking. Minimal sticking after that for quite a while.


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

John D. said:


> I run parafin wax on all edges (beeswax works great too) prior to stacking. Minimal sticking after that for quite a while.


They break apart easier after running the wax? I'll try it.......


----------



## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

I do something similar to John D. in Post # 18. When rolling molten beewax on to new plastic Pirco frames/foundation with a 3 inch wide foam roller I also coat both the top and bottom edges of all spare supers which are not on hives. In answer to snl, Post #19, yes, it makes it very easy to separate supers with a sharp edged hive tool, but it needs to be refreshed every year or two.

The suggestion by ralph3 Post # 4 of rounding (or beveling) the outer edges of of the sides of the supers sounds like a great idea too because it reduced the area of contact surface that the bees will propolize.

Steve


----------



## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

My bees are propolis happy, especially in winter wind. Italian hive tool, kept sharpened, to shoot between the boxes and along the frame's length cutting off burr comb between the boxes. In the spring I expect to have to go from front to back and back to front on all frames, because they willo have glued them good. Although I really like the piano wire idea and might see if a guitar string would work. 

Gypsi


----------



## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

Gypsi,

If you do use the piano wire or guitar string idea put a piece of wood on either end like a toggel. You grip on the toggles. That way you can "saw" back and forth with the wire between the supers and cut through the wax/propolis. Be careful that the upper super does not fall off.

Steve


----------



## sfisher (Sep 22, 2009)

Bear Creek Steve, Ralphs post #4 says that he rounds off the outside edge of the supers. Do bees propalize the outside or inside edge? 

Steve


----------



## Bear Creek Steve (Feb 18, 2009)

sfisher,

The bees will propolize from the inside first and "patch" any major openings from the outside second. The bees objective is to eliminate any light or draft sources along the walls of their hive. An interesting way to observe this is to put a propolis trap on the upper part of the colony with the outer cover blocked up enough to allow some light to enter the hive. The bees will immediately propolize the trap from both sides simultaneously.

Steve


----------



## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Bear Creek Steve said:


> That way you can "saw" back and forth with the wire between the supers and cut through the wax/propolis. Be careful that the upper super does not fall off.
> 
> Steve


This wire is not going to slice into the grain of the wood?
Maybe some of the problem that people are having is the boxes don't fit well to each other. If there is no space between boxes when they are stacked together' the only propolis that the bees are going to apply is a very small bead at the joint on the inside. This breaks very easily.


----------

