I have been unable to find the word 'photodegregate' in any dictionary. Did you make it up and, if so, what do you intend it to mean? Reply: Photodegradation of fluvalinate, like with other pesticides is not new, it is light breaking down, therefore decomposition of the product, but unfortunately light can only penetrate so deep. In natural sunlight, the half-life of fluvalinate is typically 1 day (or less). But we are talking thin films here! Beeswax in a solar wax melter most often is too thick in wax to have any real breakdown of toxic effects.Inside a beehive it is worse and residues can last for years. This is bad because fluvalinate is a class 2 synthethic phrethroid and as temperature gets colder it gets stronger in it's killing action, and by the time the temperature has dropped to 12C (in the teens for "F") fluvalinate makes bees not cluster, and feeding is reduded significanty.This can be hard on beekeeping because of synergistic activity with other chemicals, so that small clusters coming out of winter that hit a cold spell can crash with inclement fluxional changes in weather, and this has been written about. Peter continues: Could you also provide references of any studies to back up your assertion that solar melters are ineffective against certain contaminents due to 'lack of penetration ofsunlight'? Reply: I know of no real studies done, but I did intensively talk with both families (Root and Dadant) about decontaminating procedures back in the late 1980s, and also just prior to writing the "Way Back to Biological Beekeeping" in the late 1990s, that is posted for free download at beesource.com where you can download chapters on decontaminating beeswax and also pull up archives on coumaphos and fluvalinate. For the inverse toxicity concerning fluvalinate see the Chaney thesis in the listing of supporting documentation. For pulling the reading up go to this site and read thru index of material presented: http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/ But as to why I think solar wax melters are ineffective, this POV was rationalized in sifting thru data written in the publication: Photodegradation of fluvalinate, by Gary B. Quistad, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1984 32 (5) Sep-Oct starting pg: 1134 in the US Depart of AGrtic National Agric Library, in Beltsville, Maryland to which you are free to go and get a copy. Respectfully submitted, Dee A. Lusby Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper Moyza, Arizona http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicBeekeepers/ __________________________________ Yahoo! FareChase: Search multiple travel sites in one click. http://farechase.yahoo.com -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---