Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Bill Murray on February 21, 2024, 08:25:05 pm

Title: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Bill Murray on February 21, 2024, 08:25:05 pm: So, here is the question. Can you render old comb and get the contaminants out?

I appreciate all input.

I guess this is what Im thinking. Why will the bees accept wax rendered from contaminated comb, after rendering if its still contaminated?
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Terri Yaki on February 21, 2024, 10:53:13 pm: Contaminated with what?
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: The15thMember on February 21, 2024, 11:32:09 pm: It depends on what it is contaminated with, I'd imagine. And I expect that if the contaminant is in low enough quantity, the bees won't notice or care, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't have sublethal effects on them or the brood.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Michael Bush on February 22, 2024, 06:41:03 am: Fluvalinate (Apistan) and Cumaphos (CheckMite) break down in ultraviolet light. So do a lot of (but not all) other pesticides.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Bill Murray on February 22, 2024, 07:53:20 am: That was what I was looking for, thank you Michael.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: BeeMaster2 on February 22, 2024, 08:18:38 am: So using a solar wax melter as the first step in recovering the wax is a really good thing.
Thanks Michael.
Jim Altmiller
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Michael Bush on February 22, 2024, 08:47:49 am: >So using a solar wax melter as the first step in recovering the wax is a really good thing.

Yes.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Ben Framed on February 22, 2024, 09:27:32 am: Good to know Michale, thanks!
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: NigelP on February 23, 2024, 09:43:53 am: Glass absorbs a lot of UV light (the type hat gives you a sunburn (UVB). You cannot get a suntan through glass.
It does however let through some of UVA, so solar wax melters (with glass) may not be as good at ridding impurities in wax as full spectrum UV light.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: Michael Bush on February 23, 2024, 10:01:29 am: When I was wax dipping PermaComb plastic combs I had a lot of wax that ended up in a thin layer on some plywood. The sun would bleach it white in a short amount of time. Anything that makes a thin layer and exposes it to the sun should make a difference.
Title: Re: Decontamination of old comb
Post by: NigelP on February 23, 2024, 03:57:32 pm: Yes, we do something similar to produce white beeswax. Cheese grater and lots of unfiltered sun and frequent turning.