Cleaning - experimental sterilization

[wd]

I tried an experiment.

I've allowed some of my boxes to sit in the rain in hopes to air out. With the exception of where the bees spread  wax / propolis, lack of paint and lack of air / water flow, mold took over on some of the wood.

I've been reading some about sterilization chambers using heat and steam or fumigation. As I understand it, the heat temp is 300 degrees Fahrenheit. How long I'm not sure of. I tried one wet box in an oven and baked it for an hour. It was to close to the bottom at first and the wood rim started to burn where propolis was that I couldn't scrap off in a matter of minutes.

I raised the rack to the next level and all went well in that area. Of course as the wood heated up it started to smoke a little and smell of pine. I kept an eye on it and checked it after hour. The hive box is close to 10 years old, Steam and close to 1/4 cup of pine pitch oozed out of the wood leaving a few drops on the drip pan.

Don't know that I'll do any of this again but I can say the one hive is dry (enough) to paint and the mold seems to be under control. After a rain and 2 days of sunshine and another rain storm on the way, I moved those boxes inside to dry out more.

Any thoughts?

[kathyp]

a day or two of sun should dry them.  the mold is not such a big deal.  the bees will clean up the inside.  if you need them dry to paint and have no sun, just put them inside for a few days.

if you are concerned about disease for some reason, sun is a good disinfectant for most, and a bleach dip will kill most everything else.

[wd]

 

... Thanks kathyp ... 

[Scadsobees]

I agree, I wouldn't bother sterilizing boxes unless they are from unknown origin.  And that would be the flame treatment, torch, whatever, and that would be for AFB, and I don't think that the oven is hot enough to kill that. 

That there mold will be back in a jiffy, next time the boxes get a little wet.   I don't think it is worth the risk of dripping propolis all over the oven(no honey, that really is from the apple pie you made!!), not to mention having the boxes catch fire.  But interesting nonetheless.

Rick

[wd]

yes it is dangerous! the box has a slight smell of pine and sweet wax. no burnt odor.