Used Equipment

[Ann]

My husband has a chance to buy some used hives, but he doesn't know if the previous owner used chemicals or had any problems with disease. Are all the hive components considered high risk? The man who is selling the stuff is the grandson of the late beekeeper and he doesn't know anything about the health of the bees when his grandfather was tending them. Would you advise taking the risk?

[peggjam]

If the price is right, and equipment in decent shape, and you sanitize it, it should be fine. I generaly will not reuse someone else's frames. I scorch the inside of the hive bodies, bottom boards, both sides of the inner cover and the inside of the cover. If you do a good job, it should be fine. A coat of paint on the outside helps too.

[woodchopper]

Thanks peggjam, we'll give that a shot if the equipment is in good enough shape.