Beginning beekeeping Using old bee equipment - From: pollinator@aol.comnospam (Dave Green) Newsgroups: rec.gardens.edible Subject: Re: Bee hive question Date: 11 Sep 1999 06:13:06 GMT >An e-mail list that I belong to had a question that relates to bee-keeping. A >lady found some really old bee-hive equipment and wanted to know if she could >use it for starting to keep bees. Some other people said no, that it could >transmit disease. It was recommended that she burn it, but she said a friend >told her it was from 25 years ago and any disease should be gone. Another >person said it wasn't mites she needed to worry about, but some other bee >problem. What is the truth in this? She was hoping to get the benefits of >both garden pollination and honey by keeping bees. Congratulations, Nellie, you are about to join a rapidly growing group. In fact the bee supply places are having a hard time keeping up with the demand, as gardeners recognize poor pollination and take steps to remedy it. In buying old equipment, you don't need to worry about mites. The mites must have live hosts and when the bees die, they do too. Now you will have mites in your beekeeping, if not at first, then soon, because the infection is everywhere, and drifting drones, which go from hive to hive, will spread them around. So you must count on treating for varroa mites, just as you have to treat your dog for heartworm, fleas and worms. Some treat for tracheal mites as well, but I think it is a waste; you just need to get good stock from a good bee breeder. Then they will be resistant to tracheal mites. The concern with old equipment is a disease called American Foulbrood. It is a bacterial disease that forms spores which can last for decades. If the comb is intact, you can look for scale to identify previous infection. I have pictures on the Pollination Home Page showing scale in old comb, but I just checked and the link is not working. I'll try to get that fixed; it's the one about buying bees, and you can check back in a couple days. If there is no comb left, it's pretty hard to tell whether the equipment is contaminated. If the previous beekeeper was competent, he (or she) shouldn't have had disease, and if he did get a case, he would have burned the equipment. If he was just "messing with bees," then he may not have known why the bees died. You'll have to ask some questions and try to evaluate the risk. If you think the guy (or gal) may have had disease, at least burn the frames and start with fresh ones. The work to cleanse these is just not worth it. Then char the inside of the boxes, covers and bottom boards to kill any spores. You can use a propane torch, well away from any buildings, and keep a hose or a couple buckets of water to keep from overdoing the charring and winding up with just ashes. Another note. Sometimes you will find old homemade equipment. See if it matches up with regular standard equipment. Offsized home-made stuff will make a lot of normal bee management impossible and you will regret the day you started with it. The best bet, for beginner beekeepers is to get a competent mentor. These are best found through local beekeeping associations. You may also have beekeeping classes in the area; check with your county extension agent. A good reference for beginner beekeepers can be found online in Dr. Keith Delaplane's beekeeping course, at: http://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/b1045-w.html Another reference on garden pollination: http://www.pollinator.com/garden/gardpol.htm You can check at www.airoot.com for "Who's Who in Apiculture" for state bee inspection officials (usually very helpful), regional beekeeping associations, and bee extension personnel. Good luck in your venture, Nellie. Let me know how you do. You are welcome to pass along these suggestions to your list. And y'all come by the pollination page. Pollinator@aol.com Dave Green Hemingway, SC USA The Pollination Scene: http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles) http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm