To clean out old cut comb frames a "frame cleaning tool" is indispensable.
I use one made by Kelley, page 23 of their current catalog; $3.50.  I think
others sell it also.  If you raise a lot of cut comb Kelley's frame made for
this purpose is the best...and is also very easy to clean.  Page 10 of their
current catalog; $42.50 a hundred.  I don't think anyone else sells this
frame.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Bogansky <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, February 17, 1998 4:32 PM
Subject: FGMO/Cut Comb Frames
 
 
>Hello All,
>Reading Allen_s post on cleaning up the FGMO posts for Best Of Bee-L caused
>me to think about the issues.  I get the list in digest form.  I rarely
post
>to the list.  I am content to read and learn.   I read all the posts one
>after the other.  Sometimes I am bothered by a certain post and wish to hit
>the old "reply button" and have my say. But by the time I am finished I
have
>calmed down and tend not to even consider a reply.  This is a good safety
>valve in that it keeps me from shooting from the hip.  I think sometimes we
>are too quick say what we think and then regret it later. I often read a
>post and think "this will "stir the pot" and sure enough the hip shooters
>are there. I would caution some members to wait just a few minutes,
possibly
>read some other posts before you hit the reply.  (This will probably gets
>some shots fired).
>
>My views on the FGMO issue: I think it works and I hope that the
researchers
>will study it and discover all that is needed to prove beyond a doubt that
>it is safe (something I already believe) to use in the hive.  I don_t
>believe there is a group out there trying to undermine it on the basis of
>market monopoly for Apistan.  But I do know that there is no commercial
>corporation out there that will spend any money to do research that will
not
>generate profit.  That will be left to university researchers and
interested
>individuals, and thank God they are there.  As it is been said in a number
>of posts there is no financial gain for a corporation to do it.  I learned
a
>number of lessons when I left the university environment and took a job
>doing R&D for a large corporation.  I was told early on that I was not here
>to do a great service for mankind.  I was here to develop new products that
>the corporation will make a good profit on.  When a project failed, or even
>succeeded but was not a financial gain, a number of good research personnel
>quickly found themselves unemployed.
>
>Now some twenty years later I find myself dealing with government
>regulations and agencies on a daily basis.  One thing I have learned is
that
>most regulations started off with a good idea but in the bureaucracy have
>sometimes lost focus.  I have found this to be a way of life.  One
shouldn_t
>spend a lot of time trying to understand how an agency "thinks".  Example:
> If I use FGMO on my top bars to keep the bees from building burr comb the
>EPA could care less.  However if I do the same thing to control mites,
their
>jurisdiction kicks in.  A lot of time has been spent on the list discussing
>such points.  The fact of the matter is it is pointless, so why waste time
>discussing.  In stead lets be thankful for the free thinkers like Dr. R.
for
>coming up with great ideas that may solve problems and the researchers like
>Jerry and his team for the work they do to make sure the ideas truly work.
> We need them both.
>
>Now for those of you who have managed to hang in there this long, I have a
>real bee question.  What is a good way to clean frames that have been used
>to make cut comb?  It takes me longer to scrape out the old wax than it
does
>to build a new frame.  Even though frames are not expensive I have trouble
>throwing one away rather than cleaning it.  OK I am cheap.  Any suggestions
>would be appreciated.  Gee maybe I should have put this at the beginning of
>the message, I doubt many have lasted this long.
>Thanks,
>Ron Bogansky
>Kutztown, PA