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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------