Randy wrote

> Unfortunately, in my area irradiation facilities are not readily 
> available.
> Many Aussie beekeepers routinely irradiate used equipment, and as Allen
> notes, the sterilization of myriad pathogens in old combs results in 
> renewed
> brood health.  For beekeepers who have access to irradiation facilities,
> this would likely be more cost effective than burning.  You'd have to do 
> the
> math--10 new presassembled frames with foundation cost me about $16.00, 
> and
> I don't have to truck hives back and forth to a facility.  For a colony or
> two, it's cheaper for me to burn.

Unfortunately that day here in Oz we did not get to the irradiation plant as 
we spent time at other worthwhile pursuits.  As for the maths, you say it 
cost you $1.60 per frame.  So for irradiation on a pallet we can get the 
equivalent of 36 supers with 9 combs each. So this is 36 X 9 X $1.60 = 
$518.40.  We also have 12 lids and 12 bottoms plus excluders with the same 
pallet load.  So the cost of irradiation is $264 of which I get $24 back in 
GST.  So the cost is $240.  Then there is the transport and time on top of 
that.  And as you say for a couple of colonies it is not worth it.  We use a 
refrigerated container to store the gear, if there is only a small amount, 
and wait for a pallet load before heading off.

The other factor that comes into this is that you have a drawn comb ready to 
go.  The bees do not have to draw the foundation (costing honey and time). 
So for me I consider it very cost effective to have gear irradiated knowing 
full well that it will be clean.  I have not had AFB now for several years 
but my rule is to get all deadouts and dinks done.  I specify 15 kgys 
knowing that at 15 it will also kill EFB and chalkbrood.  If you only want 
AFB, you only need 10.  You need 15 for the EFB and chalkbrood.  Also any 
nosema will be killed.

If you have AFB then it is best to burn the brood combs and irradiate the 
honey combs after extracting.  The honey is declared to the packer as AFB 
infected and it can be used in uses where there is no risk of transmission 
of the AFB spores to bees e.g. bakery trade.

So I do not want to be spreading disease around if I unfortunately get it. 
After all I am a beekeeper and not an AFB keeper.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA 

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