On Fri, 8 Mar 1996, David Eyre wrote:
 
>  Robert Rice <[log in to unmask]> wrote
> >If everyone adopted the habit of recycling brood combs on a 5 or 6 year
> >basis then there would be a lot less disease in our hives and
> >consequently a lot less chemical control.    For all diseases there is a
> >minimal infective dose which must be reached before a disease will
> >establish itself.  If you can stay below this thresh hold then a disease
> >outbreak is highly unlikely.
>
> What a rush! I was really pleased to see this post!! The view has always
> been,' the queen prefers to lay in dark comb' and through the years I have
> seen some disgustingly black stuff. We try to change one third every year.
>         Last year we had a speaker from Denmark who is on the Buckfast
> breeding program, and they change all frames every year. Mind you they also
> have a steam cleaning process where they send all their boxes and frames for
> de-waxing and cleaning. The wax is then recycled into foundation.
>     ****************************************************
>
Yes, I am very pleased too! Though the bees seem to be attracted by dark
combs, I think, it's very important to recycle them regularly. Until now
I never heard about changing all frames every year, but that's doubtlessly
good. That means putting the bees on new frames at oince and supporting this
action by feeding liquidly. Also pollen should be available in nature. The
old brood combs as a whole are given to another colony, at the bottom.
 
It's nice to observe, the queen just begins to lay eggs, when the cells
did'nt have got yet their final length. One thing seems to be important:
Not to recycle completely too late in the year, the new frames should be
breeded oince. They then seem to be warmer to the bees in winter.
 
Yes, for dewaxing and cleaning frames we use a steempot. Those pots are
available to hobby beekeepers too. In a size to contain the frames of one
hive they will cost circa 800 US $. We make candles out of the wax or
change it for new wax walls (expression ?, surely you know what I mean).
 
Regards,
R.E.Bahr
 
NISI APES FINIS