> >Presumably that soak is after the wax and other material has
> been removed from the surface of the plastic frames, perhaps by
> pressure washing.


The test was done on a suspension of spores,  so the results may not be able
to be extrapolated to combs.

However, note that bees leave the cocoon in the cell wall after each
generation of larvae.  It appears to me that this is likely a colony-level
behavioral hygienic method to entomb spores and toxins behind the
silk/meconium/propolis barrier.  It has been found to be effective at
preventing miticides in the wax from killing varroa.

What this would mean is that the hypochlorite may need to only penetrate the
surface layer to be effective, depending upon how much actual wax reworking
takes place after bleaching.

I just tossed an AFB demo comb.  When I find another, I could perform a
test.  For that matter, anyone on the List with an AFB comb and a bottle of
bleach could do the same!  Bleach it, and then put it into a nonhygienic
colony, and observe if larvae get sick.  Anyone up for it?

Randy Oliver

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