Thanks, that all makes sense.
Proud to have seen this post develop to probably the most informative detail on this subject on the web. Mainly thanks to Baz...Cheers sir! And everyone else...
Thank you - perhaps acetic acid treatment would become more popular if folk were having to handle 50 time less than they currently are asked to!
Or it didn't rot any metalwork it comes into contact with - even wires embedded in wax
Stainless steel wire is absolutely fine in my foundationless frames and vaseline protects the nails. Given the discrepancy in dosing amounts the time of dosing is also probably way too long but that would need to be tested. I wonder if any attempts were made to optimise the published protocol at all?
Considering the evident shortage of quality contributions to the bbka magazine maybe an article espousing the information in this thread would be helpful?
But any commercially wired foundation I've seen for sale has galv, as does the majority of other metal hive hardware available
Would need to get a microbiologist on board to determine what exposure times are needed. I suspect 48H is quite sufficient which would minimise damage to wire but this would need to be tested.
I now hit my stored frames initially with a sulphur burn .. it does not turn wax green. The burning sulphur creates sulphur dioxide gas which will kill just about any living organisms in the frames - and that includes wax moth eggs. I do six supers at a time with the burner in an empty brood box on top of the pile (obviously with a lid on the top of the stack). It dissipates very quickly and then, before I put them into store I spray them with Dipel. Not had a problem with wax moth infestation over winter since doing it this way.
I can't recall where or who it was that said it tainted the wax green - perhaps another myth busted then. I store all my supers wet too - as much because I find the bees move up into them in the spring more swiftly as for wax moth control. Is there a reason you favour sulphur over acetic acid? My hives are mostly poly and I hadn't intended on fumigating any with exposed metal in, cheers.
Some believe that rendering wax in an aluminium pan turns it green - never experienced that though and I've rendered hundredweights of wax down in an aluminium bain marie
nothing for nosema or chalkbrood? How sure are you? Google (I know), suggests otherwise, the following is just one link of many, I'm unsure what to think.... Safe Use and Handling of Acetic Acid - Bee Craft Ltd.
Sulphur burning is a very quick treatment and has proved very effective for me ... if it works don't fix it.
Presumably the fumes sink in a similar fashion and require similar quantities per box? Just a shame as I've bought a fume dispenser and acetic acid, according to Dr Google, it sterilises and kills chalkbrood and nosema, does sulphur do as thorough a job? Can appreciate if it's not broke don't fix it for you, bit I'm just starting out in terms of comb treatments and am keen to start as I mean to go on... starting beekeeping with a beehaus will teach you that ;-) Bloody thing.
All you need for a sulphur burner is a tin can with a lid and some holes drilled in it and a bent nail- I bought one of the Thornes ones for a few quid in the sale but a treacle tin would make a DIY one. The sulphur comes as round discs with a hole in them and I use two discs for a stack of six supers.
