The Frame Vault

Introducing the Frame Vault

Picture of bee hive boxes in the Frame Vault

Protecting your bee's investment

The Frame Vault was born out of the necessity to protect frames with drawn comb during extended storage.

The honey bee works extremely hard to draw wax comb out each year. Therefore, it is essential, after the honey is extracted or brood boxes removed, that the frames be protected from insects like the wax moth.

Most experienced beekeepers know that is does not take the wax moth long to destroy what the bees work so hard for. It is estimated that it takes 8lbs of honey to create 1lb of wax. Personally, I learned that I get a better return during a nectar flow when I add a super that already has drawn comb. The frame vault allows the beekeeper to store their frames with confidence that their frames will be protected.


When you search the internet for methods to protect the honey bees’ investment, you get several suggestions.

  • Some beekeepers use chemical crystals, which can be harmful if there is honey present in the comb. Others like aluminum phosphide is effective, but it is flammable and very harmful to humans.
  • One of the best methods of controlling wax moths is to freeze the frames. This kills both larvae and eggs if the temperature is low enough at a given period of time. Lower temperatures require less time. Most beekeepers don’t have the freezer space to keep all their frames frozen for a long period of time.
  • Another suggestion is to store the frames after freezing them in garbage bags. Garbage bags generally do not allow any airflow, causing the frames to become extremely moldy.

All these methods work to some degree but have drawbacks that can harm bees or require lots of space.

The Frame Vault system takes all these limitations into consideration.

It is highly recommended that the frames be frozen for at least 48 hours. After the frames are removed from the hive or the freezer, they are placed in a brood box or honey super in conjunction with The Frame Vault.

The Frame Vault consists of a set with a lid and a base. The base is made of wood, with ventilation slats cut into the bottom. The lid is also made of wood and rests on top of the boxes to create a seal from top to bottom. Both the base and the lid contain a very sturdy stainless-steel screen mesh. This allows for adequate ventilation while keeping the wax moth and other insects out.

One of the greatest attributes of the Frame Vault is that it needs no chemicals.

The Frame Vault can also be used when removing honey supers. After the bees have been cleaned off the frames, then the boxes can be stored by using the Frame Vault. This keeps the bees from re-entering the supers so robbing does not occur. When used properly the Frame Vault can protect and prevent insects from destroying your bee’s investment.

If you have any questions please email me at ken@resterfarms.com

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