BT>From: Brian Tassey <[log in to unmask]>
  >To: Multiple recipients of list BEE-L <[log in to unmask]>
  >Date:         Mon, 7 Oct 1996 20:50:46 -0400
  >Subject:      Re: Fumigation
 
BT>I've got a question about fumigating supers.  I've got a space of about
  >10,000 cubic feet that I want to gas for waxmoth.  It's pretty air tight and
  >the choices so far are burning sulfur or Phostoxin.  Anyone with Phostoxin
  >experience?
 
Hello Brian,
 
PHOSTOXIN is a lot safer to use then sulfur, IMHO. I have used both.
 
Phostoxin is not cheep. Phostoxin will kill you 100% of the time if that
is what you intend it for and you stay in the room for a short time and
breath its fumes. This is a violation of the product label. Your dog and
cat will die if they are left in the room when you fumigate your combs.
This also is a violation of the label as using it to put down unwanted
kittens. Your wife and kids will also die if you leave them in the room
when you fumigate. This is a violation of the label for use of this
product in California, but the product could be used in our death
chambers if there was a recall of the WWII gas now used. Other then that
it is a 100% safe fumigant to use and in fact is no different then using
cyno-gas it has replaced as far a the use and precautions, just costs
three times as much and requires a permit to use in California.
 
Phostoxin will also clean out any rats or mice that you may have brought
in with any dead hives. Phostoxin will kill a 300# mouse, four times
the size then the most widely used mouse food you can buy in any food
store will do.
 
Phostoxin is the choice if the worms have got a good start, but it may
require several applications. Phostoxin will not kill the spiders and
they seem to do well with its use. Phostoxin does require a licence to
use in California. I don't know if there is now a cost to acquiring that
licence, it would not surprise me. When I got mine all you had to do was
put you card in the hat that was passed around a dark room at a sales
meeting put on by the regulatory authorities and the chemical sellers, I
dropped in all the cards in my wallet at the time and our county sheriff
is still wondering why he got a nice frame able licence to use
Phostoxin. Phostoxin is also excellent for killing the gophers in your
lawn and garden, ground squirrels, skunks, and the like, but this may
require a different licence as it would if you were to use it to kill
mice in your bee combs. It also requires the victims be home at the time
of application.
 
Sulfur is less costly, and really works good in comb storage rooms that
are not connected to other buildings, such as land/sea containers
converted to comb storage/fumigation rooms. 95% of all beekeepers who
burn sulfur for comb fumigation have at one time burned down their comb
storage buildings, some have done it more then once. Sulfur fumes are
very hard on metal and electrical fixtures. I don't believe a licence is
yet required here to burn sulfur but it could be. Some commercial
beekeepers are able to work in a heavy sulfur atmosphere that would gag
most civilians. Sulfur can also be used to aid the drying of fruits.
 
The best and least costly method for wax worm free comb storage is a
large size water cooler that runs between midnight and 8 am during the
summer months. This requires both a treated air entrance and exhaust.
The entrance should be at the floor level and the exit at the highest
level of the roof with some way to open and close it. This requires NO
licence or permit to control wax pests and will not harm yourself, your
family, pets, or help. It does have some initial costs for the hardware
and installation, but that is 100% tax deductible and could earn you some
points with your local environmental groups, some who buy honey.
 
A wise beekeeper will not introduce dead hives into his honey comb
storage room, but will treat them independently from the extracted honey
supers and will eliminate 99% of the re-infestation by adult wax moths
to his comb storage room or building. Most all beekeepers use some form
of light trap in their comb storage room to monitor the flights of adult
moths and can make some judgements on their control efforts. The big
ones that fry the moths and bees are very entertaining 2nd only to the
outside bug traps that so many families sit around on those warm summer
evenings when there is nothing on the boob tube.
 
                         ttul, OLd Drone
 
(c) Permission is granted to freely copy this document
in any form, or to print for any use.
 
(w)Opinions are not necessarily facts. Use at own risk.
 
---
 ~ QMPro 1.53 ~ "Where there are fruits & nuts, there are beekeepers"