How to Use a Spur Embedder

One of the fundamental tools of beekeeping, a spur embedder, assists the beekeeper in strengthening the foundation of the hive's frame. Every beehive used in beekeeping contains wooden frames that support a foundation, made from a sheet of pure beeswax or plastic-based beeswax, which is the material that bees build their honeycomb onto. Embedding wires into pure beeswax foundation with a spur embedder gives the foundation the support necessary to securely hold up a beehive and to withstand the high-speed spinning of a honey extractor machine. Plastic foundations do not require this support.

Things You'll Need

  • Hammer
  • Eyelets
  • 28-gauge wire
  • Wire cutters
  • Pure beeswax foundation
  • Cooking pot
  • Water
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hammer eyelets into the inner holes in the side bars of the beekeeping frame. The eyelets give the ends of the wire somewhere to go without running the risk of the wires cutting into the wood frame and loosening over time.

    • 2

      Unravel lengths of wire to pass through the side holes. Create horizontal cross wire supports and cut the lengths of wire to the correct size to fully pass through the holes of the frame with wire cutters.

    • 3

      Pass the wire through the eyelets and pull taut. Many different support-building designs exist for arranging wire and the spur embedder will secure any design into the beeswax. Some wire supports do not connect to the frame itself and merely sit in the beeswax foundation to strengthen it.

    • 4

      Place a sheet of pure beeswax foundation under the wire frame to hold the foundation. Place a thin rectangle of wood, slightly smaller than the inside area of the frame, beneath the foundation, which holds it in the middle and against the wire support.

    • 5

      Heat water in a cooking pot until the temperature rises high enough to produce a full boil. Remove the boiling water from the heat and immediately put it to use.

    • 6

      Dip the spur wheel end of the spur embedder into the pot of boiling water until it gets hot, which should take a few seconds of time. Many spur embedder tools work at room temperature as well, but they all greatly increase in effectiveness if heated.

    • 7

      Push the wire into the beeswax, one wire at a time, by pressing each one into the groove in the center of the spur embedder wheel and then into the beeswax. Roll the spur embedder along the length of each wire in this fashion.

    • 8

      Let the beeswax cool and set the wire foundation inside of it.