Hi All
 
Just to clarify - peroxide destroys bacteria because it forms free
radicals (highly acitve oxygen atoms that want to bond to something,
and whatever they bond to is changed chemically). Wood is composed of
many many difficult to degrade chemical structures linked together.
It can 'absorb' the active concentration of huge amounts of peroxide.
Fungi use some or other enzyme that basically creates similar
radicals to break down the ring structures in wood so they can use
them as food. (super oxide dismutase??)
 
In short - I suspect that no matter how much peroxide one added, the
long term damage to the structure of the hive body will always be
greater that damage to the very chemically resistant spores. One
would probably have better luck spraying bleach and leving in the sun
- UV activates the release of chlorine radicals from bleach (I think
that is not chemically sound, but try putting bleach onto cloths in
sunlight as opposed to indoors)
 
Keep well
 
Garth
Garth Cambray           Camdini Apiaries
Grahamstown             Apis mellifera capensis
Eastern Cape Prov.
South Africa
 
Time = Honey