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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Robin Holmes <whatbirdsplungethrough AT yahoo.com>, "ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Moving equipment out of state
  • Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:26:44 -0400

Robin,

A quick check of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture's web site says that they inspect incoming colonies but it doesn't mention anything (that I could find) about empty equipment. You could send them an e-mail to ensure you are compliant with their regs. I would be surprised if they are concerned about a hobbyist with one empty box.

Whoever told you that there are residual pheromones from laying workers on empty equipment gets an A+ for creativity but an F for biology. Bee pheromones don't linger long. If they did, they wouldn't be able to communicate the condition of the hive. It would be like someone ringing your doorbell and then it stays on forever after that. How would you ever know when someone arrives? Once rung, your doorbell turns off. Same with pheromones. They provide a signal that then fades away, or they are constantly produced to create an ongoing signal that lasts as long as the bee is producing it. Some last longer that others but none last for long.

And pressure washing won't sterilize equipment -- it will just clean it up real good.

If there is enough wax on the combs to make them worth saving, freeze them for several days to kill any wax moth or hive beetle eggs, then pack them up in a bug-tight container. Save them for when you start over in Wisconsin, and you'll be way ahead of the game.

If you want to sell your stuff to lighten your moving load, I'm sure you can easily find a buyer on this list any time of the year.

Randall Austin



On 7/18/2014 4:48 PM, Robin Holmes via ocba wrote:
1405716520.49230.YahooMailNeo AT web120801.mail.ne1.yahoo.com" type="cite">
I'm looking for advice about how to move a hive and hive equipment out of state. I understand this can be a complicated process if there are live bees but I ended up with laying workers last month and there are only a few dozen bees left. Needless to say there are hive beetles taking over and I'm sure wax moths are on the way. My questions are these: Can I move this stuff and start over in Wisconsin? If I decide to do this next year or the year after is it best to store the frames with no wax (though I have 2 deeps and a medium of drawn comb)? Should I try to offload what I have and start over with different equipment where I'm going? Is what I have worth anything to a beekeeper at this time of year in its current condition?

Somebody suggested that the hive will have residual pheromones from the laying workers and the county extension person I talked to suggested pressure washing  the hive bodies to sterilize them. Any thoughts?

I've looked online and of course in the Dadant book from bee school but I'd love to tap your collective wisdom too.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Robin


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