Wax Dipping Bee Equipment

The only alternative methods of sterilization are gamma irradiation and complete destruction by fire.

Wax dipping bee equipment.

Fully refined with 0 8 oil content. I haven t switched to using beeswax because it is so low temp and will get sticky. This process is quick does not require space for drying and should last much longer than paint or stain. Dipping is often conducted during the winter months when the active beekeeping season has finished and apiarists have time to attend to maintenance of hive material and other equipment.

It is the placement of various beehive components or parts in hot molten wax. Wax dipping is also an effective way of disinfecting wooden parts and can be used to salvage equipment exposed to foulbrood as spores are eradicated by the extreme heat involved. Wax dipping beekeeping equipment. Melt temperature range from 60c 62c.

Here is a fact sheet from the new zealand. The term dip means a brief immersion into a liquid. Wax dipping bee equipment. I got the tank from a friend who had it custom made.

Even better it can sterilize equipment including killing afb spores and is a recommended method for dealing with disease risk. Coating the wood in wax is beneficial for the bees and the hive itself. A small amount of wax may drain from the dipped item. I was expanding my beekeeping and bought a lot of new equipment so i decided to try dipping in wax and gum rosin to preserve the equipment.

However when apiarists dip their hive parts in molten hot wax it is usually for periods of up to 15 minutes the molten wax consists of 80 90 paraffin 99. The initial set up for wax dipping is both complex and costly. Parrafin wax is one of the industrial wax that you can use to dip your boxes in. The wax is super expensive but having it full means i can do 6 deep boxes at a time compared to 4 which really makes a difference when you are doing a lot of equipment.

This shows how we cook woodenware at 300 degrees fahrenheit for 10 minutes in a mixture of 20 microcrystalline wax and 80 paraffin wax. Hivefive apiary bee supply llc 149 trident point rd. Wax dipped beehives and beekeeping equipment. When to wax dip wax dipping can be done at any time of the year subject to the precautions listed below.

Wax dipping is an alternative to painting for wood preservation.