RE; Frame washing In the last several days many postings have been about washing frames. Does this suggest that the frames can be made clean of AFB & EFB or is this just a way for the beekeeper to TRY to recycle some equipment that is deemed too expensive to burn . I do not know the answer. I have been told that the spores live a long time (100"s of years )and that treatment for AFB will be needed after washing the frames. This brings me to another point regarding the way that New Zealand has their border closed to honey and other bee hive products under the pretense of attempting to eradicate AFB and EFB. The NZ bee people claim to have a AFB eradication program in place and as such they deny the entry of hive products as well as bee and bee equipment. Many old time bee keepers have told me that it is impossible to eradicate AFB in honeybees with feral bees and managed bee hives with out AFB knowledge and or treatment. WE in Hawaii are thinking about a program like the NZ AFB eradication program to keep all honey and related bee hive products away from Hawaii. Our honey would surly be worth more money with out the competition of the mainland packers and their "BLENDED" foreign honey on the grocery shelf. Any comments. Walter Walter & Elisabeth Patton, 27-703 A Ka' ie'ie Rd., Papaikou HI.,96781 Ph./Fax. 808-964-5401 E-Mail hihoney@ilhawaii Beekeeper and Bed & Breakfast Owner in Hawaii http://www.alohamall.com/hamakua/hihoney.htm http://www.alohamall.com/hamakua/beeware.htm http://www.alohamall.com/hamakua/lamalani.htm