Thomas Cornick wrote:
 
> Varroa won't make me quit beekeeping
> Foulbrood won't make me quit beekeeping
> Formic acid won't make me quit beekeeping
>
> Hydroflouric acid if it becomes necessasary to the keeping of bees will make
> me quit beekeeping.
> The stuff is beyond dangerous it eats your bones causes heart failure by
> screwing up you internal chemistry and so on.
>
 
Having used HF in the semiconductor industry earlier in my life , the
idea of using it in connection with beekeeping is horrific!! Culled
from the web:----
 
 Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and hydrofluoric acid are extremely
 corrosive to all tissues of the body. Skin contact results in painful
 deep-seated burns that are slow to heal. Burns from dilute (<50%) HF
 solutions do not usually become apparent until several hours after
 exposure; more concentrated solutions and anhydrous HF cause
 immediate painful burns and tissue destruction. HF burns pose unique
 dangers distinct from other acids such as HCL and H2SO4:
 undissociated HF readily penetrates the skin, damaging underlying
 tissue; fluoride ion can then cause destruction of soft tissues and
 decalcification of the bones. Hydrofluoric acid and HF vapor can
 cause severe burns to the eyes, which may lead to permanent damage
 and blindness. At 10 to 15 ppm, HF vapor is irritating to the eyes,
 skin, and respiratory tract. Exposure to higher concentrations can
 result in serious damage to the lungs, and fatal pulmonary edema may
 develop after a delay of several hours. Brief exposure (5 min) to 50
 to 250 ppm may be fatal to humans. Ingestion of HF can produce severe
 injury to the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal tract and may be
 fatal.
 
Hydrofluoric acid attacks glass, concrete, and many metals. It also
attacks carbonaceous natural material such as woody materials,
leather, and rubber. Some materials resist the corrosive action of the
acid, such as platinum, wax, polypropylene, polyethylene, and Teflon.
In contact with metals with which it will react, hydrogen gas is
liberated and the danger exists of a spark or flame resulting in an
explosion.
 
HF should always be stored in plastic bottles. Containers of HF should be
stored in secondary containers made of polyethylene in areas separate
from incompatible materials. All work with HF should be conducted in a
fume hood to prevent exposure by inhalation. Splash goggles and
Neoprene gloves as well as laboratory coats should be worn at all
times to prevent eye and skin contact.
 
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DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER USING HF!!!!!
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Anthony N Morgan,
Forsteammanuensis
Institutt for Elektroteknikk
Hogskolen i Sor-Trondelag
N-7005 Trondheim, Norway
[log in to unmask]
Tlf. 73 55 96 04
Fax. 73 55 95 81