Travelstained foundation

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Travelstained foundation

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Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 13 11:25 am Post subject: Travelstained foundation

I have some brood frames that never got drawn out properly last year. The colony didn't make it through the spring (too small). I'm reasonably certain that there was no disease in the colony - just too small to build up in the spring.

I don't think that the foundation is ever going to make good comb, but is there a way to recover & re-use the woodwork?

The bees have put quite a lot of propolis on the frames, but otherwise they are cleanish.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16000

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 7:34 am Post subject:
If you are pretty sure there was no disease, you could just use the partly drawn comb. Otherwise, you will have to see if you can take the bars out that hold the foundation and replace it.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 7:57 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

If you are pretty sure there was no disease, you could just use the partly drawn comb. Otherwise, you will have to see if you can take the bars out that hold the foundation and replace it.

It's not even partly drawn. It's very stale & travelworn, with a fair amount of propolis & mildew on it, but it's still foundation.

That's why I want to know whether there's a way to clean up the woodwork.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16000

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 8:29 am Post subject:
Usually the frames are burnt if there is any risk of disease, but if there is no mildew on the frames themselves, just removing and replacing the foundation may do it. You could try scrubbing with bleach then thoroughly air and dry before putting in new foundation, but not sure if the bees would dislike mildew or bleach most.

Dogwalker

Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Posts: 1231
Location: Mid Wales

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 4:01 pm Post subject:
I've done them before with a hot air gun the same as the boxes. Take out the wooden strip holding the wax in, zap them and put new foundation in. Any wax and propolis will melt into the wood. One of my bee books says to fumigate with acetic acid or formaldehyde( used to use that for the incubators in the childrens hospital)

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 4:45 pm Post subject:

Dogwalker wrote:

I've done them before with a hot air gun the same as the boxes.

Take out the wooden strip holding the wax in, zap them and put new foundation in.
Any wax and propolis will melt into the wood.

One of my bee books says to fumigate with acetic acid or formaldehyde( used to use that for the incubators in the childrens hospital)

Thanks!

Might need them sooner than I thought - there's a lot of activity near the bait hive.

Dogwalker

Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Posts: 1231
Location: Mid Wales

Posted: Wed Jun 12, 13 5:55 pm Post subject:
That sounds promising

mochasidamo

Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 615
Location: Montgomery

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 13 8:01 am Post subject:
The wax can be melted down (using a homemade solar extractor etc). Frames can then be boiled up with a bit of washing soda and a dash of washing up liquid and rinsed and dried before reuse. Acetic acid (80%) fumigation is for boxes of comb to be overwintered to kill a variety of critters.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 13 9:34 am Post subject:

mochasidamo wrote:

Frames can then be boiled up with a bit of washing soda and a dash of washing up liquid and rinsed and dried before reuse.

Thanks, that was what I needed to know.

I thought I might have to use caustic soda so knowing that I can use washing soda is handy - caustic is nasty stuff. I used to work for a pine stripper, I've seen what it can do when it splashes.

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 13 7:48 pm Post subject:
I keep reading this thread's title as the transvestite foundation A.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Thu Jun 13, 13 8:16 pm Post subject:

Barefoot Andrew wrote:

I keep reading this thread's title as the transvestite foundation

No isn't that when they tear down the worker cells & build drone cells?

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