Practical Guide: 4.4 Frame Replacement

Replacing frames is an essential part of good beekeeping practice and contributes significantly to the health of colonies. Regularly replacing old frames reduces health risks and improves brood and storage conditions. The following information is based on official guideline 4.4 from the Swiss Bee Health Service.

Official Practical Guide – Summary

Practical Guide: 4.4 Comb Renewal

• Principle: Comb renewal consists of progressively replacing old or degraded frames with new frames or foundation.
• Objectives:
  • Reducing the load of pathogens and residues.
  • Improving brood quality.
  • Maintaining a healthy comb structure.
• Implementation:
  • Regularly replacing a proportion of the hive's frames.
  • Planning comb renewal within the annual cycle.
  • Adapting the method to colony strength and season.
• Importance:
  • Comb renewal is an essential preventive measure for colony health.
• Important point:
  • Insufficient renewal can have long-term negative effects on colony vitality.
  • A super in which the queen has laid eggs should not be harvested along with the honey supers. Frames that have contained brood must be identified and managed separately. For supers intended for harvesting, a queen excluder is the simplest way to avoid this problem.

► Open the official Practical Guide PDF (FR)

► To the official Practical Guides page (abeilles.ch)
Note: Chapter 4.4 "Comb Renewal".

Summary prepared on the basis of Practical Guide 4.4. Last verified: 01/2026.

See also:

• Practical Guide: 4.4 Comb Renewal
• Wax and combs
• Beeswax contamination
• Practical Guide: 4.4.1 Rendering frames
• Practical Guide: 4.4.2 Comb storage