> ...If they are truly that blocked, I'd boil the wax off first.   You'll
> be surprised at how much you'll recover. Then on to Allen's
> suggestion...
> ...We do 2000+, every year in an average day with three guys.
> Usually pay for one with the wax recovered.
> Use a tank that is 24"l X 48"l X 32"d.

Yes, as several have pointed out, It pays to boil excluders from time to
time if you have enough to justify the setup.  For only a few, just a scrape
will do.

Some people like them factory-clean, though.  Obviously, the bees don't,
however, and, frankly, in recent years we quit cleaning excluders much,
since we found the bees move wax around in the hive to suit themselves,
especially if we use foundation near them and they need the wax.

Bees wax and unwax everything in the hive to suit their own needs.  IMO,
usually a quick scrape for the worst ones is all that is needed, just so
they fit into the stack without jacking up the frames above them too much.
If you get a good flow, bees generally wax excluders no matter what you do.

Here's a picture of the tank we used when we were doing thousands:
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/2002/diary052002.htm

It is full of water, heated by a large propane torch underneath.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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