On Thu, 7 Mar 1996, Robert Rice wrote: > For all diseases there is a minimal infective dose which must > be reached before a disease will establish itself. If you > can stay below this thresh hold then a disease outbreak is > highly unlikely. Something that many beekeepers in my area do is sterilise our out-of-use equipment, usually using acetic acid but sometimes by irradiation. We build our empty boxes into stacks, sealed top and bottom, with a pad soaked with a few tens of millilitres of 80% glacial acetic acid about every foot (30cm) of height. Leave to 'stew' for a few days then ventilate for a few more. It kills most things pretty dead! NOTE: 80% glacial acetic acid isn't very nice stuff, so if you do this be careful. Wear the mandatory "big rubber gloves" (tm) and a respirator mask (carbon filters). You *can* work without, carfully and upwind, but I _don't_ recommend it. It also corrodes many metals so watch the frame wiring and support runners. Regards, -- Gordon Scott [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] (work) The Basingstoke Beekeeper (newsletter) [log in to unmask] <A HREF="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/apis">Embryo Home Page</A> Beekeeper; Kendo 3rd Dan; Sometime sailor. Hampshire, England.