Hold on a moment:
 
   Ear mites exist: they are a nuisance to mammals (horses, etc) but they
   don't affect bees.
 
   The problem Guy likely had with his bees is caused by another parasitic
   mite: either varroa or tracheal mites. I think the best thing for him to
   do is contact a local beekeepers association (or even one beekeeper) and
   learn about the problem with some new friends. Another course would be
   to read about the problems in a book from the library (The Hive and the
   Honeybee, 1992 edition by J Graham, Dadant and Sons, to start).
 
   A quick answer is that the mites die soon (within 2 weeks) after the
   bees. New bees will become re-infested, but from neighbouring  bee
   colonies, not from the old equipment.
 
   The mould is not a disease. It results from cool moist conditions: new
   bees will clean up quite a messy-looking few combs, but a strong colony
   is better equiped to do the job. Otherwise good combs can be reused
   without any harm, but if they are plugged with mouldy pollen it's
   debatable whether the comb is worth all the work the bees have to put
   into restoring it.
 
   Good Luck
 
 
   Kerry Clark, Apiculture Specialist
   B.C. Ministry of Agriculture
   1201 103 Ave
   Dawson Creek B.C.
        V1G 4J2  CANADA          Tel (604) 784-2225     fax (604) 784-2299
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