Scarred wood in old supers?

[Janus]

I'm a new beekeeper who recently received a set of old supers and empty brood boxes from a beekeeper who quit a while back. The interiors of all the boxes are scarred with shallow, oblong gouges and a few holes that look like the result of burrowing insects. Could these be waxmoths or something more pernicious? Should I be concerned about re-using this equipment? :confused:

[dcross]

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/pest51.gif

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pest&disease/sl51.html


Sounds like the marks left by wax moths. Whether to use old equipment is something beekeepers love to "discuss"

[Jim Fischer]

Definitely wax moth damage.
Bad wax moth damage.

Nothing else makes that sort of "scar".

[power napper]

Hi Janus, I see it is your first post--welcom to the forum. I agree that it is wax moth damage, equipment is safe to use after wax moth.

[Mike Gillmore]

Should I be concerned about re-using this equipment? :confused:

Unless you are "absolutely" positive about the good health of the last colony of bees that inhabited the boxes they should be considered suspicious and you should recognize there is a "possibility" that they could harbor AFB spores. I would have questions for the beekeeper who supplied you the equipment.... Was he treating with Terramycin? What happened to these colonies? Why did he get out of beekeeping?

You have nothing to worry about as far as the wax moth damage goes, but you may want to take a few minutes and scorch the inside of the boxes with a torch as a preventative measure against AFB spores. This may be overreacting a bit, but I would rather be safe then sorry. Just something for you to consider.

[Jeffzhear]

I always skorch old boxes and covers, by either stacking them four or five deep on top of four bricks, one on each corner and using three sheets of crumpled newspaper and about a half a cup of kerosene. I light it, wait about 15-20 seconds, and it will be roaring! Then I throw the top cover on the stack and let it go out. After I break the stack down, I get my 'Northern' Propane torch and flame-throw the edges, top and bottem to ensure that I have skorched the entire boxes.

I am always very careful where are do this, for fire hazard reasons, and I always have a charged water hose near me.

Sometimes I forego the kerosene skorching and just use my propane torch...it's not the little plumbing torch, but the flame thrower version.

And for me, I use my high pressure power washer to clean up the inside and outside of the boxes after doing this. Let them dry; it makes it so much cleaner to work with the boxes later on.

Oh, one thing to remember, take the metal hardware off the boxes before you skorch them.

[Janus]

Thanks to all who responded to my question. You were right on the money.

[tecumseh]

well janus I would suggest that 'if' the scarring is severe enough the indentions are great little hiding spots for the small hive beetle. so I would likely consider 'how scarred' are the supers?