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Author Topic: cleaning used equipment  (Read 3881 times)

Offline Delmer

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cleaning used equipment
« on: February 09, 2010, 10:45:05 pm »
I bought a bunch of misc. pieces, parts, frames, and hive bodies from someone cleaning out an old storage shed.  I got about 20 plastic frames, some of these are pretty dirty-  Is there any problem with soaking these in bleach and then cleaning with a pressure washer?  It almost looks like the old wax has turned black.  I've only been a this a short time and only used waxed foundation- is there anything special to useing these frames- or do you just pop them in there and the bees treat it as wax foundation.

thanks

Offline wd

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2010, 12:57:30 am »
I had wax moth damage on some of mine. I scraped off every thing I could then used a cold water pressure washer. The results are satisfactory to me. I have some un-used frames with a sweet smelling wax coat. I'm going to mix the old in with the new.






« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 02:48:04 am by wd »

Offline contactme_11

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2010, 02:42:22 pm »
Sometimes after cleaning plastic frames you need to coat them with some new wax to get the bees to accept them, not always though.

Offline Delmer

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2010, 08:51:40 pm »
the waxmoth damage looks pretty bad compared to what I have.  see attached.  Is there any need to use bleach?  I think it would clean some of the funk off of the frame, but I don't want to use it if it will affect the bees.




Offline contactme_11

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2010, 09:45:45 pm »
Personally I wouldn't power wash those. I'd use a strong bleach and water solution, rinse them well, let them dry in the sun and use them. After it airs out the bees won't care.

Offline wd

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2010, 06:47:09 pm »
I tested one with hot water just before the boiling point, it appeared to warp just a tad yet didn't lose its shape when checked later. Whether it works or not, I didn't want to take any further risk. So, cold water pressure washing works but not that great. Particles do fly every where and its time consuming. A single pass didn't work very well using cold water. What I have isn't brittle.

Lots of people use bleach but I didn't see the need for it here.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2010, 02:57:16 am »
The bees will clean it all up without your help...
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Offline wd

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2010, 04:29:45 am »
Have had three empty hives sitting 35 / 40 ft from my back door going on five years now. The wasps don't even go in them anymore. Wasps liked the fender wells in vehicle or the eves better. Haven't seen them around for two years.

When bees are here flying, foraging and buzzing my face, they've avoided these hives until I open one. They buzz a window while sitting here typing, they're in the shop / garage or on the front door but it seems they refuse to acknowledge their existence.  I did leave some frames with some old brittle comb, have one double deep with wax that's not so bad or brittle, I left that one alone. When I picked it up and brought it in, that one did have a few wasps inside.

Will see what this season holds

Edit: Made a mistake, another batch of frames with wax moth damage, wanted to rotate em out anyway, they sure know how to clean them up.

« Last Edit: February 13, 2010, 05:22:57 pm by wd »

Offline plapczynski

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Re: cleaning used equipment
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2010, 09:59:04 pm »
Could you put those frames on the dishwasher top rack?  Turn off the heating element and run it on a second cycle with water only?
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