frames with wax moth larvae on them

[lazy shooter]

I have a hive that died out and the wax moth moved in with great numbers.  Can I pressure wash the frames and reuse them?  Will the pressure washer take the wax off of the rite cell inserts.  Or should I throw them away and put new rite cell inserts in the old frames, after power washing the wood.  What are your suggestions?  Remember, I am old and lazy.

Lazy

[iddee]

However you get them clean, you can melt some wax and use a paint roller or sponge to put a layer of wax back on them. No need to trash them, except to make Jack happy. He likes trashing wax frames.

[Lburou]

Lazy 

Did the mean bees died out?  How are you getting along on your new knee? How did the bees do on the watermelons?  Let me know if you need some help.

lee

[lazy shooter]

Lborou:

I will call you Tuesday morning.  The mean bees did not die.  They are alive, and I think well.  I am going to give them a look tomorrow.  The hive over at the far apiary died out this summer.  The one we treated for foul brood.  The knee is fine, and I can do about anything I wish.  The bees at the watermelon patch prospered, but they did not grow like I had hoped.  That's the trouble with being a perpetual optimist, nothing is ever as good as one projects.  All of my De Leon hives are doing well.  If I forget to call on Tuesday, give me a call.  I am going to have some kind of harvest, but not as much as I had hoped.  It takes a long time for those girls to build comb and produce honey in our Texas heat. 

[Lburou]

Broom weed has started blooming here. happy for your harvest!   

[lazy shooter]

No broom weed in De Leon.  The broom weed at the ranch is in full bloom with lots of moisture in the ground.  The bee brush is also blooming, but broom weed signals the end of harvest.

[Lburou]

....The one we treated for foul brood...

In case anyone noticed this, it was EFB, first time I'd seen uncapped larva turning tan/brown. 

Added:  The larva looked like the description and pictures on pages 36-38 in PSU's Field Guide to Honey Bees and their Maladies.

[lazy shooter]

....The one we treated for foul brood...

In case anyone noticed this, it was EFB, first time I'd seen uncapped larva turning tan/brown.   

It was the one with EFB.  It appeared that they were improving before I went in for surgery on June 23, but when next I returned some 45 days later, the hive was dead.  My knee was still painful, and I didn't want to bring the hive to the house.  Another few weeks passed and the wax moth took two mediums over.  Oh well, it could be worse, some of my friends have cancer.

[Bakersdozen]

If I understand correctly, you had a hive with European Foul Brood.  You tried to treat it, it died out and the wax moths moved in.  Is that correct?
You should sterilize your hive tool after working that hive.  Stick it in your smoker that has some flames not just smoke.  Around here, I have heard of keeps just burn the whole hive.  Some will attempt to take a butane torch and scorch the inside of the wooden ware and burn the frames.  This is a highly contagious disease.  Lack of sanitation, robbing, feeding honey back to your hives can lead to big losses.  You might be wise to keep watch on the other hives in that apiary for EFB.
I am thankful to have never experience AFB or EFB.  Mites, small hive beetles and the periodic nosema are enough for me.

[Lburou]

Lazy, in my view, after seeing the hive on two occasions, the underlying cause of the failure is the drought.  Not PPB, it was the lack of any blooms to keep the bees alive.  Not your fault. 

If Baker's dozen knew that you leave a stainless hive tool sitting in the sun next to that hive, he would know that the sun has sterilized it for you.

The idea of burning a hive after EFB is new to me.  Such terminal action is reserved for AFB infestations I believe, but I'm always open to new information. 

I wish everyone here could smell the bushes around that hive location when they do get rain.  A memorable experience. 

[brooksbeefarm]

Lburou, here in SW. Mo. we sometimes call Sage grass, broom grass, is it the same thing? I've never seen bees on our broom grass. I clean my metal queen excluders, rite cell, Duragilt, and plastic foundation, the same way. I use a propane plummer's torch, i find if you hold a plastic frame with old wax still on it after you have scraped the old comb off up right, and put the torch to the top of the plastic foundation it will melt it and it will run down over the bottom cells. It works best if you slowly move the torch back and forth at the top of the plastic foundation for 10 minutes . I also keep a box of wax foundation handy if something goes wrong. Jack

[Lburou]

That is interesting to imagine a torch and a plastic frame leaving something still usable in the hive Jack. 

I mentioned broom weed (its new to me too) earlier to say that it is time for gathering any surplus honey from the hive here in NorthCentral Texas.  Broom weed is a huge producer of a bad smelling and bad tasting honey.  We harvest now and leave the late honey for the bees.  My hives have drawn and filled a deep super of honey between OCT 1 and NOV 1 for the past two years, its good for the bees though.