I believe there is some doubt about the effectiveness of scorching as
a method of sterilising equipment against AFB at least.   Fortunately
we do not have EFB here in New Zealand so I cannot comment on
that aspect.   Nor do we use antibiotic treatment against AFB, but we
have a national policy - supported by legislation under the Apiaries
Act -  for the visual inspecton of all managed colonies at least annually,
and  destruction by burning of all frames, bees, wax, honey and old
appliances from an AFB affected colony when detected.
 
Where the approval of an inspector under the Apiaries Act is
obtained, hive woodwarein good condition (boxes, lids, bases, inner
covers ) may be salvaged and heat sterilised in hot paraffin wax.
 Salvaged gear can be sterilised by immersion in parraffin wax at a
temperature of 160 oC for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
 MAF offices in N.Z. provide detailed information on the sterilisation
 of hive parts and appliances for beekeepers.
 
Most commercial beekeepers here have a paraffin wax "dipper", usually
a trough or large drum, either heated electrically by immersion
elements connected to a thermostat, or simply heated underneath by open flame.
Care must be taken not to overheat the paraffin wax to the point of
ignition because the wax  can catch fire.  Use of a reliable
thermometer is the solution there and is recommended to ensure that
the paraffin reaches the required temperature for sterilisation.
 
Paraffin "dipping" is also widely used as a wood preservation method
for new hive parts - supers and bases mostly.     It is the only
approved  wood preservative when organic honey production is done.
The temperature for this exercise is usually a little lower, and is
designed to impregnate the wood cells with paraffin and prevent later
penetration of moisture which leads to rotting and decay.
 
The sterilisation of woodware in the manner described above is
considered to be effective against the otherwise quite resistant
spores of AFB which can survive in small cavities and corners of
woodware exposed to AFB through colony activity.   However, despite
the long-term use of this method  as part of our AFB control
programme, the question is still open here, and comparative research is
presently being carried out on wax dipping, steam and chemical
(eg caustic acid) bee gear treatment methods to assess their reliability.
 
Generally speaking however, scorching is not approved and is not
likely to be re-considered in the future as we develop a new national
strategy for the eventual elimination of AFB from New Zealand.
 
This information may be old news to many on the Bee-L but I hope will
be useful to some, since beekeepers all around the world face to
problem of trying to ensure the equipment they use is "clean" -
especially where used equipment is for sale.
Allen McCaw
Chairman - NBA of NZ MArketing Committee
Milburn Apiaries, R.D.2, Milton, SOUTH OTAGO.
P. & FAX:  (0064) 3 417 7198
E-mail:  [log in to unmask]