Buying second hand hive bodys and roofs

[Curly green finger's]

Hi folks, what are your thoughts on me buying second hand hive boxes and roofs.
Ive just had a bit of a conversation with someone on fb, more like a bit of a disagreement, about my time and expenses..

As long as they are not really old and rotten, the cleaning process of using a blow torch freezer treatment and maybe soaking them in a bath would be enough to get them clean no?

I like to follow up also on nucs being sold even travel to help them transfer them, this is something I don't get paid for.

I do this out of love and enjoyment of my girls.

Even if I was selling 50 nucs a year I would still offer my services and follow how they are progressing.

Somethings in beekeeping are worth more than money.. Even time.

 

[Ian123]

A bit of background on the source is a good thing if possible, and fortunately brood type diseases are realistically rare. I’d have no issues buying second hand kit at the right price and doing the normal blow torch/hygienic precautions. Realistically you probably would spend a similar time cleaning an individual box as it would take to assemble say a new seconds. Ian

 

[jeff33]

Same here, the only thing I don't usually touch are frames.

 

[Curly green finger's]

A bit of background on the source is a good thing if possible, and fortunately brood type diseases are realistically rare. I’d have no issues buying second hand kit at the right price and doing the normal blow torch/hygienic precautions.

This was my thoughts, yeah it's not new but surely the price would compensate for any time taken.
I feel a bit rattled from the conversation to be honest.
In some ways I was hoping to save money.

 

[jeff33]

Realistically you probably would spend a similar time cleaning an individual box as it would take to assemble say a new seconds. Ian

Talking of which, my Th888s delivery of new seconds arrived this morning, the hall is full of boxes!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I'm personally not convinced that singeing wood is an effective sterilant. Every joint can harbour nasties and the temperature half a millimetre below surface isn't going to be anywhere near flame temperature. Chemical methods as per Polyhive treatments have a much greater penetration especially considering capillary action drawing the sterilant into the gaps of joints. I reckon the apparent "success" over the years is likely to be because the target organisms weren't there anyway. Maybe I'm in a minority?

 

[Apple]

I'm personally not convinced that singeing wood is an effective sterilant. Every joint can harbour nasties and the temperature half a millimetre below surface isn't going to be anywhere near flame temperature. Chemical methods as per Polyhive treatments have a much greater penetration especially considering capillary action drawing the sterilant into the gaps of joints. I reckon the apparent "success" over the years is likely to be because the target organisms weren't there anyway. Maybe I'm in a minority?

Dip them in Dettol.... or buy new if unsure!

 

[Ian123]

I'm personally not convinced that singeing wood is an effective sterilant. Every joint can harbour nasties and the temperature half a millimetre below surface isn't going to be anywhere near flame temperature. Chemical methods as per Polyhive treatments have a much greater penetration especially considering capillary action drawing the sterilant into the gaps of joints. I reckon the apparent "success" over the years is likely to be because the target organisms weren't there anyway. Maybe I'm in a minority?

It’s proven to work!!! And brood diseases that you need to worry about are thankfully rare

 

[rolande]

Just do what you want curly, it's your time and money, no one else should judge how you spend either. Why do they even care? Way too many know-it-alls in the bee game.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This was my thoughts, yeah it's not new but surely the price would compensate for any time taken.
I feel a bit rattled from the conversation to be honest.
In some ways I was hoping to save money.

sounds like you encountered a bit of a buffoon to me (you get quite a few of those online - especially in beekeeping I find.
Soaking/sterilising is fine for poly and if flaming is good enough for the NBU, it's good enough for me (althoughl like the NBU I find a chef's blowtorch a little pathetic )

 

[deemann1]

How much did he want

 

[Nige.Coll]

Don't forget to make sure they are the same bee space as yours. top and bottom be space don't mix.

 

[beeno]

I would not buy second hand just in case. EFB is considered endemic by some and many beeks don't know that they have got it until the colony is far down the line.

 

[Curly green finger's]

How much did he want

No price just asking on fb. Beekeeping sales etc.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I would not buy second hand just in case. EFB is considered endemic by some and many beeks don't know that they have got it until the colony is far down the line.

Well I wouldn't buy if I wasn't sure as Ian said a bit of background if there honest.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It’s proven to work!!! And brood diseases that you need to worry about are thankfully rare

Being "thankfully rare" is my point

 

[Bear]

You can sterilise used wooden equipment with acetic acid.

 

[Ian123]

I reckon the apparent "success" over the years is likely to be because the target organisms weren't there anyway.

Yes but your point is not well made BI’s will use scorching on equipment of confirmed and tested cases and monitor/revisit. So it’s proven to work.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You can sterilise used wooden equipment with acetic acid.

And what about OA. Is this not used for the same purpose?
Ive used acetic acid not good to have metal work present though.

 

[ericbeaumont]

In some ways I was hoping to save money.

Depends not only on disease history - and is this seller the first owner? - but the way the boxes were put together and the material used.

I've worked with solid cedar boxes made by EH Taylor sixty years ago that have another twenty years of use, and pine boxes made five years ago that are now falling apart in the field because someone screwed but didn't glue flat-packs in an effort to save money.

When boxes are put together in weird ways by those who have no real idea how to hold a hammer, and when beespace isn't right or a box is half BBS and half TBS (sometimes from one side of the box to the other) well, you'll wish you'd spent a bit more or made your own. We have a stack in the yard of used boxes needing work to give common use, but the cost in time and fiddling will make them a pricey bargain.