Wax Dipping Bee Equipment

I got the tank from a friend who had it custom made.

Wax dipping bee equipment.

What is wax dipping. 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. Hivefive apiary bee supply llc 149 trident point rd. When to wax dip wax dipping can be done at any time of the year subject to the precautions listed below.

A small amount of wax may drain from the dipped item. It is the placement of various beehive components or parts in hot molten wax. The initial set up for wax dipping is both complex and costly. 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.

The only alternative methods of sterilization are gamma irradiation and complete destruction by fire. It would have been nice if it were taller but it works ok and i didn t have the time or money to get a better one made. Wax dipped beehives and beekeeping equipment. Wax dipping beekeeping equipment.

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. This process is quick does not require space for drying and should last much longer than paint or stain. The term dip means a brief immersion into a liquid.

Here is a fact sheet from the new zealand. 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. Wax dipping bee equipment. I haven t switched to using beeswax because it is so low temp and will get sticky.

This process cooks. Melt temperature range from 60c 62c. This shows how we cook woodenware at 300 degrees fahrenheit for 10 minutes in a mixture of 20 microcrystalline wax and 80 paraffin wax. Fully refined with 0 8 oil content.

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.