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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Peter Edwards <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 12 Dec 2002 07:10:37 -0000
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> >Reading the information just posted about dipping woodenware in 160
>degree
> paraffin for 10-15 minutes as being a treatment for AFB makes >me wonder.
>
> 160 F. will not kill AFB spores.

This should certainly be 160 Centigrade, i.e. around 320 Fahrenheit.

I have used this technique to preserve equipment and the boxes are as good
now as they were when they were dipped around 20 years ago.

At these temperatures the wax will have a haze of blue smoke and the process
is a bit like deep frying!  The water in the wood boils out and when you
take the box out of the wax it 'dries' very quickly, giving the appearance
that it has not been treated - if the wax is not hot enough then you are
left with a coating of wax.

I was concerned about the fire risk from a couple of hundred pounds of very
hot wax and took precautions (lid for the tank and CO2 fire extinguisher)
but found that this was not a problem.  I used an old water tank which only
needed to be about a third full and, although the wax did catch fire a
couple of times, there was insufficient air  in the tank for it to burn
much - just a few flickers.

Peter Edwards
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