Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Pests and Diseases => Topic started by: reidi_tim on May 25, 2014, 11:19:56 pm
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I was given two hives from an old boss who wanted to get into bee keeping and found out he could not do it within city limits. The only issue I saw with it is that wax moths had destroyed the drawn comb. I was thinking about getting the turkey fryer out and putting the frames in to clean out the remaining wax. Is there a better way or am I better off to pitch the frames and start from new?
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I can't say have had quite that same scenario, but all my equipment was used, and then sat for 20+ years. I would scrape everything down and then lightly torch everything. I'd then run a sander over it all, wipe it down, and put new foundation in.
I believe in "waste not, want not"...
Certainly other folks here may have more to offer.
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I'd clean off the worse of the wax moth mess, put the frames in a freezer for 3 or 4 days and use them. I was given about 30 frames with wax moth damage and did this. The bees cleaned them up and have now drawn / repaired each one I reused.
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If the bees didn't die of disease, than simply scraped and brush them off. No need to spend the time and effort trying to boil them.
If they where diseases (which I doubt), then burn them and buy new.
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As Robo said, I just take my hive tool and give them a good scraping, install new foundation and let the bees have them. If you go through the time and effort to boil, scrap, sand, torch, etc............you can buy frames for around $1.00 each.
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:yah: