cleaning infested hive bodies and frames

[David Rorabaugh]

I have several hive bodies and supers from hives that were wiped out by moths and mice. What's the best way to clean them? Some are wood frames with plastic foundation, some are fully-drawn plastic comb. Do I need to recoat the plastic foundation before it can be reused?

[Michael Bush]

Moths, I just pull the webs out.  Mice, I leave them exposed to the rain for a while to clean up the smell.

[AllenF]

Hose them off good.    Knock all the crap off of them.   Save any fully drawn frames that are not totally tore up.  Bees can clean frames up real good.   On the plastic, check to see if the moths ate all the wax off of them.   I have never recoated any of mine, but have seen it done on youtube.  I just put them back in.

[David Rorabaugh]

My first thought was to pressure wash everything and see where that leaves me. I've noticed that where the moths planted egg sacks, there are divots in the wood after scraping them off. I've had suggestions for flaming and for boiling in lye water. I know the plastic foundation shrivels and curls when boiled. Not sure what would happen if I tried boiling "honey super cell" fully-drawn plastic comb.

[Michael Bush]

No reason to flame or boil in lye unless you have a good reason to suspect AFB.  Moths won't hurt anything.  The divots won't hurt anything.  I would scrape off the moth cocoons only because the bees can't easily remove them and will prooolize them.  They won't hurt anything even if you leave them.

No need to boil anything.

HSC melts at 220F.  Water boils ate 212F.  You CAN boil it, but there is no reason to.

[Finski]

.
If  dirty frames are about 100 pieces, boiling in 3% lye is  quite good job.
Frames will be like new.

Heat the water in 100 litre container.
Tie the frames  to 10 frames bunches.

Lye turns wax into soap. It goes onto bottom. Heat loosens wax, resins and  poo.

Then you wash them with pure water.
Then pile them under  weight that they dry up in right angle.

Pour the lye into cold water bebore you stat heating water. In hot water lye blows up.

You may arrange a bee society meeting where several beekeepers may boil they frames.
You need more lye if you boil 200 frames. Put the lye  first into cold water  and then add.