Does Apiguard taint wax and frames as well as stores

[jackstraw]

There seems to be a mixture of opinions but I am unsure whether some are urban myths

I appreciate that Apiguard taints stores and makes them unfit for human consumption indefinitely, but could anyone tell me, from an informed position, whether Apiguard also taints the wax and wood of the super frames.

If this is the case if I leave a super on during Apiguard treatment and afterwards manipulate it so the frames are emptied of stores by the bees, then can the frames/wax ever be used again in a super and the honey collected or should they be marked as tainted for life?

Many thanks

 

[Tom Bick]

My limited experience is the frames and wax will be ok but it may be different with others and will depend how the frames and wax were contaminated in the first place and how long they have had to stand to rid themselves of the contamination. If its normal vapour contamination not a great problem given the time before the frames are back in use for honey storage, but spill some of the thymol mix over the frames may be a different situation.

I have left supers under brood boxes during thymol treatment and come the spring I could not detect any hint of thymol. If the thymol vapors were to contaminate the wax and frames to any great degree I would have expected thymol to have been dropped many years ago as a treatment or at least compulsory frame and comb change in the brood box every spring would be the norm.

I think I am right in thinking thymol does not appear in honey naturally? And as a result, we have to be careful in its application but given its almost mass use at this time of year any problems would have surfaced by now.

 

[Arfermo]

Thanks Tom. Mind at ease now - remove extractable frames, supers under when refilled with extracted frames for cleaning and then treat. As I'm away for a while shortly will have to get on with it and bugger packing. After over 50 years married SWMBO will be well practised selecting my underpants etc. Hands together pointing upwards!!!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Due to the way my colonies expand during the season I invariably have to leave some supers on after harvesting to give the bees room, they stay on (Nadired) through the winter so get exposed to apiguard and thymolised syrup occasionally. In the spring there is no hint of thymol and these supers then get put back over a QX for the start of foraging, no hint of thymol still tainting the honey when I finally extract from them