Cleaning wax from Frames

[Joseppe]

This is my first year beekeeping; it's been alot of fun and my hive seems to be doing quite well. I have three medium deeps for brood chambers and a 4th super with queen excluder that I removed 6 full frames of cut comb honey from last week. I used a knife to cut the comb honey from the frames (the honey is wonderful btw) and now I have several empty frames with residual wax and honey on them. What I'm wondering, is there any practical way to clean the wax and honey from the frames so I can reuse them, or is it just easier to make new frames?

[kenpkr]

You could just set them out somewhere outside on a hot sunny day and more than likely the wax will melt off. I've been enjoying my new (and cheap) solar wax melter and have turned my 3 to 4 years of accumulated wax into beautiful wax cakes. I may make some candles over the winter with it. Here's a helpful link for how to make a melter, for future reference.
http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/solmltr.htm (http://www2.gsu.edu/%7Ebiojdsx/solmltr.htm)

http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2007/06/video-on-how-to-use-simple-solar-wax.html

I guess you could clean up your frames with it too.

[hrogers]

Howdy J --

When you cut out the cut comb, if you leave about a half inch of comb attached to the
top bar you can use the frames again without installing new foundation or strips.

Just set them out 100 yards from your hives and let the bees gather the remaining honey.
A simple scrapring of the frame is adequate.

Doc

[riverrat]

you could dip them in boiling water to clean them up but I like the idea of leaving a small strip of comb to keep from having to add foundation the next year

[Joseppe]

Thanks for sharing the good ideas you guys. I've wasted some hot and sunny days those frames could have been sitting out in the sun, but now it's cool and rainy. Ah well, this is Michigan, so the weather will change again in a couple days. :)

[Michael Bush]

Or you can just leave the wax and propolis and reuse them. The bees will clean things up pretty well.