Buying used equipment?

[Nock]

Looking at some used equipment at a online auction. If I get any wood equipment should I clean before using?  What about drawn frames? 

[iddee]

Although there is a slight chance of getting AFB from it, the chance is very slight. I imagine all other replies will tell you to not buy it, I have saved thousands of dollars buying used equipment and the only AFB I have ever had came in with occupied hives, not empty equipment.

[Robo]

I agree with iddee,  if you can get a good deal and the combs are newer and not old black.  Of course knowing why the equipment is for sale helps too,  if they were winter losses then AFB is even more unlikely.    Key is to get a good deal AND the equipment is in good shape.   A good deal is not a good deal if the equipment isn't in top shape.   I would ozone the combs for a few days just as a precaution.   That is what I do with winter loss combs.

[Nock]

The old man that owned it all passed away. I guess it?s a estate sale. I?m going to put some bids in and go from there. Thanks.

[Acebird]

Estate sale ... can you look first?

[Nock]

Estate sale ... can you look first?

They had only a part of a day walk through. I found out after that. All I got is pics to look at.

[Acebird]

Estate sale ... can you look first?

They had only a part of a day walk through. I found out after that. All I got is pics to look at.

I guess it is like any auction sometimes you win big and sometimes you lose big.

[Ben Framed]

This is interesting Nock. Let us know how this works out.

[Ben Framed]

This is interesting Nock. Let us know how this works out.

Nock are these supplies close to you or will they have to be shipped to you if you win the bid?

[Beeboy01]

If the price is right and the equipment looks good I would go for it. Not sure if I would use second hand drawn foundation but soaking the wood wear in a bleach solution and airing everything out would be enough for me. Rebuilding frames can be labor intensive and might not be worth the work, it's definitely not my favorite job as a hobby bee keeper but my time is free and frames aren't, in a bigger operation it might not be cost effective. Sounds like a interesting venture, let us know how it works out.

[FloridaGardener]

BeeBoy: My hives are foundationless. I "inherited" 100+ wood frames with gross foundation covered in wax moth cocoons & poo. I'm popping out the foundation and trashing it.

I felt I had to cycle it through the freezer 48 hrs first so all critters died, and didn't live on in my garbage can.  It's a huge undertaking since I have only a small freezer in the garage. Bleach 10% solution in a Rubbermaid tub sounds easier. 

D'you think a 20 minute soak is long enough to kill wax moths/roaches/SHB?  I know 20 minutes won't kill an SHB larvae (personal experience).  But there's no food for SHB larvae at this point, just adult SHB on the prowl.

There's also a gritty coating on the wood.  Dust, likely.  They've been sitting around for years. Scrub with the bleach solution?

[Beeboy01]

If you are going foundation less you will be OK with a 20 minute bleach along with a scrubbing to remove any dust or dirt. Old frames can be nasty to clean up. I'm in the same position as you are with a freezer, only have the one in the house which is out of bounds according to the queen bee. I use the paramoth crystals for drawn frame storage which will kill wax moth and SHB eggs, the main drawback is the frames need to be aired out for about a week before use. Not sure if something like that is what you want to use, once cleaned up your frames should be ok to store as is. The bees will clean up anything you miss.

[Michael Bush]

If it's cheap enough I would buy it.  Remember, though, if it's old it's already used up half or more of it's life...  Don't pay too much for it...

[James M. Wagner]

Illegal to sell or buy used woodenware in the state of Tennessee unless it has undergone an approved sanitation process. Trust me....not worth it.

[Acebird]

Illegal to sell or buy used woodenware in the state of Tennessee unless it has undergone an approved sanitation process.

Really?  I can't imagine the authorities would have any chance of enforcement except for commercial operations.

[rast]

 I looked for the "approved sanitation process" and didn't find it, just out of curiosity. I saw something about boiling it but was not official.

[Michael Bush]

A common treatment is to boil it in lye water.  I don't know how effective that is, but it has been pretty popular for more than a century.  In Australia and New Zealand they cook them in paraffin and that has been proven very effective.  Some people say that chlorine bleach will do the trick but others say it won't.  AFB forms spores that are very resilient.  In recent years I've not seen much AFB.  People mostly lose their bees to Varroa or to winter.