Author Topic: used hives (Read 22493 times)

Zulu · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2014, 07:21:34 pm »

Raleigh does have a radiation chamber and it was inexpensive to use from what I was told when I started 4 years ago, but with all the budget cuts not sure if still working..... Maybe Iddee or Jacobs have up to date info.

Jacobs · « **Reply #21 on:** January 02, 2014, 07:27:44 pm »

Our chamber is not a radiation chamber. It uses ethylene oxide. As far as I know, the decontamination service is still available, but anyone in NC wanting to know can call Don Hopkins or any of the other apiary inspectors.

iddee · « **Reply #22 on:** January 02, 2014, 08:17:36 pm »

To contact an N. C. inspector......

http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/inspect.htm

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #23 on:** January 02, 2014, 09:46:37 pm »

Do they have maps for the AFB EFB hot spots? is there a link to find out if your in a target zone?

Gypsi · « **Reply #24 on:** January 02, 2014, 10:38:38 pm »

European Foul Brood has no signs on old comb and while it can be treated with antibiotics, I would not suggest using old comb.

I know because I did, and it was fine the first year but the losses started last winter and I went from 5 hives to 2 by May 2013. I did manage to save those 2. I burned or melted every bit of comb in the place and harvested all the honey, plus antibiotics, to do it.

Jen · « **Reply #25 on:** January 02, 2014, 11:27:20 pm »

Gypsi- I started scorching my hives, but it just wasnt enough for me, I was worried that one spore would creep back and kill my hive again, not to mention other hives that may be in the area. I burned it bees and all. Killed me!

Gypsi · « **Reply #26 on:** January 02, 2014, 11:55:00 pm »

European is tough but beatable. Now I did not scorch my boxes. But my bees didn't catch EFB from boxes they got it from comb, and then the dying hive got robbed out by the healthy hive next door and they caught it from HONEY...

I considered the radical burn the bees, but I had the state bee inspector come out and sample my hive and send larva samples to Belton. I began treatment for EFB as soon as I could get medicine, before I got the belton results. And my local mentor advised me to pull all comb and honey, so I did this too. Frames too, either burned or the plastic ones cooked in a solar oven then put in trash after melted.

But when it came to scorching the interior of the boxes, working alone, I didn't feel like I could do it without setting something afire in our severe drought, so I just solar ovened them and scraped off any comb first...

tecumseh · « **Reply #27 on:** January 03, 2014, 05:26:20 am »

a snip...
Do they have maps for the AFB EFB hot spots? is there a link to find out if your in a target zone?

tecumseh....
as far as I know the answer to your question is no.

the various state inspectors meet up from time to time and I hear talk from them about AFB/EFB hot spots < generally they meet up at the various convention one of which will very soon be in Baton Rouge and the other I think in San Antonio.

I am not certain about the other states but here privacy concerns would limit any exact information being divulged from an inspector. this thread also suggest a loop hole in the law.... that is here anyone can likely sell nucs and stay within the intentions of the state law but the selling of queens or packages requires a license. this may also suggest one major advantage to starting up with a package of bees.

due to the smell AFB is really not that difficult to recognize, EFB on the other hand requires a bit more and closer observation. there is now a third form which is now loosely call 'snotty brood' which appears to be a hybrid of these two types and one might suspect this could be confused for either AFB or EFB < I seem to hear more folks involved in pollination talk about this so places on the east and west coast may see more of this than those of us in the heartlands.

Jen · « **Reply #28 on:** January 03, 2014, 11:37:48 am »

gypsy- what is a solar oven? is it something specific to bees?

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #29 on:** January 03, 2014, 12:19:04 pm »

these are all pics of solar ovens not bee spaciffic but really cool to have!
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=solar+ovens&qpvt=solar+ovens&FORM=IGRE

here is a youtube of them as well

Jen · « **Reply #30 on:** January 03, 2014, 01:10:54 pm »

Are these used for cooking/baking, or gardening, or..... ?

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #31 on:** January 03, 2014, 01:25:39 pm »

these are for cooking if you want gardening then it would be a cold frame you would use.

Gypsi · « **Reply #32 on:** January 03, 2014, 10:30:45 pm »

To simply cook frames I spray painted one of my affected deep boxes black, and put plexiglass over the top, and set it on my trailer with an old flat screen "screen" under it, and hung frames in it. Plastic frames twisted and turned. I did burn the old brood frames, and I did remove all comb, but honey frames or frames with virtually no wax on them I kept a few by cooking them to the plastic curl stage.. Plastic of course had to be tossed. I use wood frames with fishing line for foundationless, or plasticell. I threw out at least 6 boxes of plasticell after sterilizing

tecumseh · « **Reply #33 on:** January 04, 2014, 05:03:39 am »

the classic remedy for sterilizing equipment was..

for the box.... you empty these and then with a welder's torch and a rose bud tip scorch everything in the inside of the box.

for the frames... you take a number 3 washtub, fill about 2/3 full with water then add a package of lye (use to be red devil or something like that???) and boil the frames for 15 to 20 minutes

Jen · « **Reply #34 on:** January 04, 2014, 02:00:06 pm »

And for wax moth, clean them up as best you can. but hive box and frames and foundations in the freezer for a couple of days.

tecumseh · « **Reply #35 on:** January 04, 2014, 04:21:35 pm »

a freezer is also about the best thing you can use for severe hive beetle infestation. < this makes for quite a mess so if you do not have a designated freezer to deal with this problem then simply stick in a large plastic bag prior to placing in the freezer or expect you significant other to read you the riot act if you do not.

Jen · « **Reply #36 on:** January 04, 2014, 09:09:15 pm »

tec- Good to Know, I haven't had shb yet but I know they are in our area. Thanks!

Gypsi · « **Reply #37 on:** January 05, 2014, 12:13:15 am »

Boiling in Lye is a new one for me, I ended up settling for bleach sterilization, which may or may not have been adequate...hmmm

Jen · « **Reply #38 on:** January 05, 2014, 12:53:37 pm »

I think the freezer is so uncomplicated. Of course you'll have to have room in the freezer for a full hive body... might be worth going to the appliance store and picking up an small old freezer for cases like this.

JanO · « **Reply #39 on:** January 05, 2014, 01:22:48 pm »

I'm picking up some used hives today, so I find this thread quite interesting. I can put the frames in the freezer, but not the boxes. If I am understanding this right, I can char the boxes with a torch and get whatever "bugs" that may be present in the boxes? I'm sorry if I sound a little ignorant, I just don't want to bring in unwanted problems.