Hello all !
 
I apologize !  I'm a belgian biochemist in Belgium and I know
obviously nothing about what is legal in the U.S. or not.
 
I know more about LAURIC ACID (real chemical name "Dodecanoic Acid" or
also dodecoic acid) which is a simple saturated fatty acid as which we
encountered in a lot of natural fats and oils.  Lauric acid is found
in COCONUT OIL (isolated 1995, Merck index X, p.775).
 
Now !  Is it legal to paint your hives with coconut oil ?  I don't
know!  The amount I said (0.2 % in alcohol) will give a totality of
40-50 mg (milligrams) of lauric acid per super, the main part of which
is *in* the wood fibres.  If this really keep you away from AFB "with
this super" without any more TM treatment.
 
On Fri, 19 May 1995 13:37:05 +0100 I said already (without comment):
 
> WHY no new paper (articles) about chemicals as fatty acids is
> published since the 2 articles in Apidologie 1993 vol 24(2) pp 89-99
> (since 2 year today).  Maybe no research is made in this line? Maybe
> the authors are waiting to publish their results at the Lausanne
> Apimondia Congress ?  WHAT WASTE TIME AND MONEY FOR BEEKEEPERS WITH
> AFB in theirs own hives !
> Can I suggest this ...
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> In my mind, the case of "lauric acid" is a good choice because this
> product is stable even at high temp. and very toxic to AFB.  It is not
> soluble in water, sugar syrup and honey, but it is quite soluble in
> the waxes (beeswax *and* microwax) and it is not expensive (about
> US$25/kg).  It could be added in microwax before dipping.  It could be
> added to the beeswax foundations.  It could be serve to protect the
> other AFB contamined materials while dipping it in an alcoholic
> (methanol or ethanol 0.2-0.5 %) solutions after the alcaline cleaning.
> The "nec plus ultra" solution is to find a line of honeybees which
> secrete one of this fatty acids in her own beeswax ! Research work !
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
> I'm not able to experiment these possibilities for different reasons !
> Seems there will be solutions for the beekeepers which live daily the
> AFB problem !
 
I have not the whole proceeds of Lausanne but seems there nothing
about a new hive (hardware) treatment for AFB.  Why ?
 
IMHO : Some apicultural specialists which *are* in contact with AFB
(we in Belgium are very very few ! AFB is occasional) try rationally
this method, collect and summarize their results.
 
Hope this helps!
 
Jean-Marie
 
Long. : 4deg 56' E - Lat. : 50deg 30' N  -  Alt. : 200 m  -  North sea : 200 km
 
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Jean-Marie Van Dyck                    Fax +32 81 72 42 72
B.P. 102                               email : [log in to unmask]
B-5000     NAMUR(Belgium)              Medical school - Biochemistry dept
 
This => C'est ma facon de parler !
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