# Whiten up the comb--how to?



## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Hi, All!

I have a few frames of comb that I like to whiten up. What is the safe solution to use
for this process? Since OA is safe for the hive and is a wood bleach too, will a solution of
OA bath work on the comb? What are some other solution to use?


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Just wondering why you'd want to whiten the comb in a frame? If it's been used as brood comb, the coloration is from the cocoons and probably won't whiten.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

This is to clean the comb instead of having the bees to
draw out a new frame. Yes, the brood comb will not bee clean up that
easily. Whatever can be clean up is good enough. Any ideas here?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

There is no way.

All new beeks like their pretty new comb and don't like to see it getting "dirty". But in time you get to where you just accept the way bees do things.

I still remember what was at the time a stinging comment, I was a schoolboy and my Grandad was visiting, I had been planning for some time how awesome it was going to be showing him some comb from my hive. The big moment came & I proudly showed him the comb, he looked and said it's so untidy.

Anyhow, just got to see it how the bees do.


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

On why bees make wax, read this, particularly the "production" section:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeswax


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Cleaning combs to make them white? I don't know. Is there a reason you are wanting white combs? If you are wanting to sanitize combs there are a few methods. One is radiation, the other is fire. For Nosema spores ultraviolet light also works.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Put them in your bee hive(s). The bees will clean them as clean as they need to be.


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

sqkcrk said:


> Put them in your bee hive(s). The bees will clean them as clean as they need to be.


:thumbsup: This is my method!


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh well, guess I just have to do my little comb experiment to see.
First is the OA bleaching in a bath solution at 50/50. Then OA and
bleach at 5% bath solution. Again, the purpose is to just whiten up the comb.
Then immerse the frame comb in clean water to and air dry. Anymore workable 
solution to get nice clean comb is appreciated. Thanks all!


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

beepro said:


> Oh well, guess I just have to do my little comb experiment to see.
> First is the OA bleaching in a bath solution at 50/50. Then OA and
> bleach at 5% bath solution. Again, the purpose is to just whiten up the comb.
> Then immerse the frame comb in clean water to and air dry. Anymore workable
> solution to get nice clean comb is appreciated. Thanks all!


Have them draw new. Seems like a pretty workable solution.

Of course you chase mites around the hive with razor blades, so your level for tedium might be a bit higher than most.


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

wow.. why did you start a thread if you already were going to do what you wanted to do anyway? Brood comb is going to be dark.. from cocoons.. not from anything that will be bleached. honey comb shouldn't be that dark and I wouldn't want someone putting chemicals like that where my honey would be. 

should probably listen harder to the experienced guys that posted above.


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## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

beepro said:


> OA is safe for the hive and is a wood bleach too, will a solution of
> OA bath work on the comb? What are some other solution to use?


This is an absolutely terrible idea, with horrific side effect consequences. Your bees have put a tremendous amount of effort into raising a healthy crop of varroa mites as pets, and using OA to clean your hive components will set back that effort by many months. Particularly if you do it in the fall, after they have no brood to tend anymore, it's terribly demoralizing for the bees, they just curl up in a big ball and sit there for the rest of the winter, doing absolutely nothing. they dont raise any brood, they dont eat much, they dont fly, they just sit around all winter, totally listless. It takes 4 or 5 months for them to recover from the trauma and start to get active and foraging for food again.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Ah, you still remember that one, eh. Good memory!
Let's say I have more patience than the avg folks.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What you are asking about is completely unnecessary. You are the only person I have ever heard of who wants to do this. These are statements, not criticism. If you can whiten your comb I think you will end up doing it damage.

Why do you want to do this? Can you tell me why?


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

JakeDatc: Posting is to get an idea if anyone had done it before.
Apparently nobody has. So I try to figure out a way to do it.

grozzie2: The issue is my bees don't goto sleep or cluster much 
as we have very mild winter months. They brood up in smaller patches even in the cold winter months. And expanded to full frame brood comes Spring. 
Yep, they are the Italians bees. If they bees don't like the clean comb then they can use the other half of the used comb. I will put half and half for them to use. 
If this doesn't work out then I will just dispose the extra comb. And then let them draw new comb during the Spring flow. Thanks for the good suggestions.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Drawn comb is reusable. I have combs that are older than you, most likely. Why would you just get rid of them?


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

beepro said:


> JakeDatc: Posting is to get an idea if anyone had done it before.
> Apparently nobody has. So I try to figure out a way to do it.
> 
> grozzie2: The issue is my bees don't goto sleep or cluster much
> ...


so you are putting chemicals into honey comb at a much higher concentration than OA vaporizing ... good job. please do not sell your honey.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

I just don't see the point. White comb does not mean clean comb. With everything encased in wax how will your "treatment" penetrate wax without destroying it? Brood combs are supposed to be dark. If you are wanting clean stuff, burn it all and start with new. Your dark combs are healthier then white combs that have been drenched in chemicals. Bees love old brood combs. I'm all for experimenting and trying new things if there is a purpose for doing so. What you are asking about is a great question if there is some purpose other then you just want white combs. I think everyone is still waiting for the purpose. opcorn:


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> Put them in your bee hive(s). The bees will clean them as clean as they need to be.


This is the best answer yet. :applause:


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Thank you.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> This is the best answer yet. :applause:


Yep, this is the best one so far. :applause: Heee, hee!

As we were my bees are drawing some new comb right now on all new frames and foundation. One and a half frame is almost
completed with many more to go. And the new queen is laying lots of new eggs too. Spring is early this year by a month.
Now I still like to know if it is possible to whiten the old comb to turn them new alike again. And if there is a negative effect on
the bees after the flow to use these comb. Whether or not to use them is still TBD. So rest assure no
honey will bee contaminated in this process. I'm not ready to risk the health of me or others around me yet. But for the bees it
will be a gradual comb introduction process. This is a great forum to bee in. Thanks for all the positive input.


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## Waggle (Mar 7, 2013)

I would spray them with white paint. They will be whiter than when freshly drawn and clean as a whistle, so white ya gotta wear shades.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

beepro said:


> Now I still like to know if it is possible to whiten the old comb to turn them new alike again. And if there is a negative effect on the bees after the flow to use these comb. Whether or not to use them is still TBD.


No, it is not possible to whiten the old comb to turn them new alike again.
There is no negative effect on the bees after the flow to use these comb.
It does seem like whether or not to use them is still TBD by you, but I and others have been telling you to just go ahead and use them. Millions of beekeepers have been doing so for ages and ages.


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

sqkcrk said:


> No, it is not possible to whiten the old comb to turn them new alike again.
> There is no negative effect on the bees after the flow to use these comb.
> It does seem like whether or not to use them is still TBD by you, but I and others have been telling you to just go ahead and use them. Millions of beekeepers have been doing so for ages and ages.


I think he means if there is any neg. effect of using his bleached frames... which i'm not sure is a good idea. just a waste of time all around.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Oh, that I have no idea about.


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

I swap out two to three frames per year. I install a new sheet of balck waxed foindation in the frame. They are ready for next year when I swap out two or three more. This is also how I open the brood nest.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I'd like to have white bees. Has anyone tried to paint their bees white? If not, I think I will try and see how it works out.


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

powder sugar shake gives them a temporary albino look


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

beemandan said:


> I'd like to have white bees. Has anyone tried to paint their bees white? If not, I think I will try and see how it works out.


Bad man Dan heard from. I have painted some bees white when painting occupied hives. Not very many and not very well painted.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

JakeDatc said:


> powder sugar shake gives them a temporary albino look


Done it. Liked it so well.....I want it permanent. Enamel or lacquer? Any thoughts?


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

sqkcrk said:


> Bad man Dan heard from.


When you least expect it.....pops up out of the peanut gallery.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Aerosol cans or should I get a gun and compressor? Anybody?


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

Anodizing makes for a nice weatherproof finish. maybe throw a bit of metal flake in for some sparkle.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

JakeDatc said:


> Anodizing makes for a nice weatherproof finish. maybe throw a bit of metal flake in for some sparkle.


You thinking bees or comb.....or both?


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## Bmcq (May 29, 2013)

best way to whiten up the comb, melt it down then reassemble it.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Yes, yours are the most constructive advice so far to melt them down.
Then make foundation out of them on the highest cell walls. Do a shook swarm and
feed 2:1 like crazy to have them draw out the new comb in 3 days plus. But still to wait
3 days is too much time wasted compare to the bleached frame comb right there when you have them.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

You could try Sun bleaching...

But i agree, brood comb will not become like fresh comb again because of the build-up of caccoon.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Comb becomes darkened by bees walking on it. Or so I have heard.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

pine_ridge_farms said:


> Cleaning combs to make them white? I don't know. Is there a reason you are wanting white combs? If you are wanting to sanitize combs there are a few methods. One is radiation, the other is fire. For Nosema spores ultraviolet light also works.


Maybe you can use the same stuff you use to whiten your teeth.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

sqkcrk said:


> Comb becomes darkened by bees walking on it. Or so I have heard.


There's the answer. They obviously need a small mud room where they can take off their tiny bee shoes and wash their feet so as not to track in all that mess.



beepro said:


> Yes, yours are the most constructive advice so far to melt them down.
> Then make foundation out of them on the highest cell walls. Do a shook swarm and
> feed 2:1 like crazy to have them draw out the new comb in 3 days plus. But still to wait
> 3 days is too much time wasted compare to the bleached frame comb right there when you have them.


You do understand that even if you COULD bleach the old combs white that it is not the same as new comb right? You wouldn't be removing any of the built up pesticide/chemical residues. You may, however, be making them worse.

I'm telling you, beepro, I'm a little bit worried about your sanity. Perhaps too much mite hunting with razor blades and not enough fresh air and critical thinking?


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

beemandan said:


> Aerosol cans or should I get a gun and compressor? Anybody?


I went with white powder coat in one of my hives this past summer. You won't be disappointed.


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## oldforte (Jul 17, 2009)

try it and see what happens...it's obvious that no one else knows


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## Sticky Bear (Mar 15, 2012)

What comes to my mind, why? Comb turns naturally dark, it's not a sign of contamination. Langstroth must have turned over in his grave already in dismay at how many folks lacking the knowledge of the ratio of energy needed to produce a pound of wax versus a pound of honey are willing to set their bees back. :scratch:


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## Jim Brewster (Dec 17, 2014)

I wouldn't expect OA or bleach to have much effect on combs. Beeswax is more or less impervious to watery solutions, which is why bees can store nectar and honey in it. As I understand it, most of the darkening of comb is sealed under a fresh layer of wax when the bees clean out the cells, which makes it hard to imagine how it can be lightened much without damaging the integrity of the comb.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Bees build comb for honey storage and brood. Whenever they raise brood in it, the cocoon (which is brown) gets left behind. One generation and the comb is brown. Two and it's darker brown. Three and it's pretty dark. After several dozen it's black. This is just normal. It is supposed to be black...


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Michael Bush said:


> Bees build comb for honey storage and brood. Whenever they raise brood in it, the cocoon (which is brown) gets left behind. One generation and the comb is brown. Two and it's darker brown. Three and it's pretty dark. After several dozen it's black. This is just normal. It is supposed to be black...


But how can he make it white, guys?


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## oldforte (Jul 17, 2009)

the Dept of Agi should do a study on what makes the cocoon turn dark....there have been far more numerous, costly and frivolous government studies than this.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

jwcarlson said:


> But how can he make it white, guys?


By using H2O2!

The stronger oxidizing agent the better the effect. I have seen how ppl use 
hydrogen peroxide to bleach their hair. Maybe this one will work to make them white.
What is the half life or residual effect of using this?
We need a chemist in the house to help me out here. Anyone?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

oldforte said:


> the Dept of Agi should do a study on what makes the cocoon turn dark....there have been far more numerous, costly and frivolous government studies than this.


I doubt it.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

beepro said:


> By using H2O2! What is the half life or residual effect of using this?


What makes you think there is any residual effect, negative or positive? And what makkes you think anyone has any idea what the half life is?


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Re: Whiten up the comb--how to?White spray paint?


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## Jim Brewster (Dec 17, 2014)

beepro said:


> By using H2O2!
> 
> The stronger oxidizing agent the better the effect. I have seen how ppl use
> hydrogen peroxide to bleach their hair. Maybe this one will work to make them white.
> ...


I minored in chemistry. Hydrogen peroxide won't leave toxic residues, but also likely won't penetrate the wax to bleach the layers underneath. I don't think it can be done without destroying the comb structure. Maybe exposing them to sunlight or some other electromagnetic radiation, but you would have to carefully watch the temperature. Even then the resulting combs would probably be weakened, but maybe that would be okay depending on your purpose/priorities.


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## south MS rookie (Apr 26, 2014)

Am I the only one that thinks the author of this thread knows it's a foolish idea and is pushing the issue for entertainment value?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

:lpf: You could be right.


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## rweaver7777 (Oct 17, 2012)

If you use at least a 500 watt-second photography flash, and hold it 6 inches from the comb, the high-intensity light will gradually lighten the brood due to the UV radiation.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

Did I mention fire? Leave in wood stove for a minimum of 24 hours there after the comb will be white.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

sqkcrk said:


> :lpf: You could be right.


At first I am serious. Then thru all the entertainment remarks I doubted myself
a bit. Though I still join in to make this a happy and entertaining thread as much as possible.
But the minor in chemistry helps a lot. So I still think it is possible. An experiment
without knowing the final result is not a good one, right. 
I'll push forward with this to see what will happen to the comb. Oh, the H2O2 at 3% can also
be diluted a bit if it is too hot in the process. Maybe at 20% diluted? Or what is the right dilution to use to get the
white comb afterward? So how much filter water to add to
the 32oz (1 qt) 946 ml H2O2 bottle to make a 20% dilution? I'll go to get the cheapest bottles I can find tomorrow.
Thanks all for your big entertainment and support. I'm glad that I found this forum to learn from. You guys are great!


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Here is an update, folks.

After month on My Little Comb Experiment, here are the results so far. I wanted something natural that will not further contaminate the
comb.
I put a brood frame that is fairly brown/dark inside a foam cooler and poured
about 2 bottles of the 32oz H2O2 hydrogen peroxide and 50% water onto the comb.
After the first week of oxidization the water turned brownish. I did not notice any
significant change in the comb color on the inside because of the cocoon/casting. On the outer
edge of the cells on top it appeared to bee a bit clean/whitish. Then I waited another week to do a
second time experiment with the same comb frame. 
This time I shook all the water out of the comb and put the loose cocoon frame into the hive to be clean out. More than
80% of the cocoon got clean up. Then I put the same frame into the cooler and gave it 2 more full strength bottles of H2O2 for
another week. Again the water turn brownish. And more loose cocoon came out of the comb. They swollen up after soaking in
the water. But the comb did not change shape and appear to be a bit clean/white from the oxidization.
Interesting notes: The comb did not get damage or out of shape at all. This is an endothermic reaction where the H2O2 solution is cold to the touch. That means the heat is being absorbed by the comb. I did not measure the solution temperature but feels like 20-30F degree colder than the surrounding air temp. The cooler is in tact though.
The cocoon loosen up after 24 hours and can be remove with a small tweezers though I did not do that. Figured that the bees can do it better. Thanks to the 
tips here.
After the 2nd trial was done I rinsed out the comb in clean running tap water and shook it dry. And soak up the remaining water with a paper towel.
Finally to put the comb inside a hive to be clean up by the bees of the remaining cocoons. They did a good job at cleaning up the cells while 
still a bit wet. So how much do you think this comb got whiten up? What can I do to improve on this whitening experiment the next time? What the
bees will do to this comb inside the hive after a week now?

Here are the comb and cocoon pics:


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

If you didn't rain the solution down onto the comb simply placing the comb into the solution won't get much of the solution into the cells. Surface tension keeps the cells from filling with liquid. If you want to get the solution down into the cells where it can do more of what you want to do put the solution in a sprinkling can and pour it onto the comb, turn the comb over, and do the same to the other side.

That said, seems like a lot of unnecessary work for little result or benefit.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

This comb did get clean up that 90% of the cocoons got clean up by the bees.
Maybe that the peroxide did not get the desire affect on the comb after the 2nd time.
Forgot to mention that some cells did not get the solution in them the first time around.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

beepro said:


> Here is an update, folks.
> 
> After month on My Little Comb Experiment, here are the results so far. I wanted something natural that will not further contaminate the
> comb.
> ...


One picture would have been more than enough to show that it didn't work.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Because of your positive feedback it makes me think of the 'what if."
What if there is a way to make the comb whiter? What if there is a way
to clean up the disease comb. i.e. EFB, etc, etc. Will removing the cocoons
make the cells a bit larger? Somebody has to do these experiments to find out.
Ohh, how much fun that was! And learn something on the way too. Whoever has this idea
the next time can refer to this experiment as well. Maybee they have a better way than I do.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Sorry BP, but you and I have different connections to the universe. I can't imagine anyone taking up where you left off.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

Personally I prefer darker comb in the brood area. It makes inspections easier by simply glancing at comb to see eggs and small larva. New wax mean I have to concentrate unless I'm using black plastic foundation.


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## WilliamsHoneyBees (Feb 17, 2010)

snl said:


> Sorry BP, but you and I have different connections to the universe. I can't imagine anyone taking up where you left off.


Still trying to figure out the point of "white comb" myself...White comb does not mean disease free comb.


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## Matt F (Oct 7, 2014)

beepro, you said it worked and the cells are "whiter" but the pictures all look the same to me. Do you have one of the white foundation afterwards? 

And what's the point of all this anyway? It seems that if someone were to take this up to further the experiment, they must have a goal in mind. 

I'm interested to know what happens when you put the H2O2 impregnated comb back into the hive. I'd recommend NOT.


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

beepro said:


> Here are the comb and cocoon pics:


I would be interested in seeing a comparison between a whitened frame and an unwhitened frame. The same frame in two pictures, days apart, can be misleading unless you have very carefully controlled the lighting and the exposure.

You could start with three dark frames that are (to your eyes) very similar in color, then treat two of them, then put one of the treated frames back into the hive for final cleanup. Then you'd have 3 to compare: untreated, treated but not cleaned, and treated and cleaned.

I'd be curious about this, just as a science experiment, even if there is no demonstrable benefit to the bees or beekeeper.


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## cg3 (Jan 16, 2011)

I don't understand why the OP is not worried by the flouride in the rinse water.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

snl said:


> Sorry BP, but you and I have different connections to the universe.


An interesting way to put it. The only conclusion that I can draw is that this Beepro guy or girl has a whole lot of time on their hands. Reading about Beepro chasing mites around with a razor blade in his hives DAILY really made me realize how little time I can devote to almost anything in my life.


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## JakeDatc (Apr 19, 2010)

jwcarlson said:


> An interesting way to put it. The only conclusion that I can draw is that this Beepro guy or girl has a whole lot of time on their hands. Reading about Beepro chasing mites around with a razor blade in his hives DAILY really made me realize how little time I can devote to almost anything in my life.


and going through how many bottles of bleach trying to whiten a few combs? hehe


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

JakeDatc said:


> and going through how many bottles of bleach trying to whiten a few combs? hehe


Not bleach, hydrogen peroxide. The original post said oxalic acid though. Maybe that ate through the foam cooler? We may never know.


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## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

This is an April Fools prank, right? Right? Good one. It is a joke....isn't it?


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

beemandan said:


> I'd like to have white bees. Has anyone tried to paint their bees white? If not, I think I will try and see how it works out.


No but I painted some neon green with a paint marker trying to mark a queen. A big "glob" of paint pen paint spreads quickly in a hive.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Regarding to the time element. Well, we all have 24 hrs
in a day to bee fair. How we use it is up to individual to
individual. Have you been maximizing your time to enable you to
do all the fun things you would like? And at the same time allow you to do all the important but necessary things too. I have often wonder how the commercials are able to manage so many hives compare to the sideliners or hobbyist. Ohh, the chasing the mites with a razor blade got turn into an on demand stationary OAV set up now using the everyday household gadgets that anybody has access to. And I got a vid about that too 2 days ago. I PM snl about it that it would put his buzz out of buss so did not publish it. Much fun to see how in 2 minutes the process was completed. And I did not breathe any vapor in or use a mask either. Can you make such a simple set up within the limited time in a day?

Remember, that this is only an experiment. With experiments we can change things around to fit our situation. Using bleach will put too much residual contamination on the comb. Using OA also too much and in a water solution they will not stick to the comb that well. Actually the OA will separate into a layer to settle down at the bottom of the jar. So not that good on the comb as an oxidizing agent. Using peroxide is much cheaper from the dollar store. Only $6 dollars spent for this experiment not counting the cooler bought and the time spent. Overall, whether or not this experiment is a success or failure is not that important. The emphasis here is to 'experiment' to see if it will work to have some white comb. And removing the extra cocoons by the bees is almost like cleaning up the comb already. Interesting to see that after 2 days the brownish peroxide water turn to clear again. So peroxide is a fairly strong oxidizing agent at 3%. What if I can buy the stronger solution say at 5-10%? Will that work better to whiten up the comb in a shorter amount of time? Only if I can have access to some to try.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

If you put a mat on the entrance to the hive, the bees will wipe their feet and not get the hive so dirty.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

dsegrest said:


> If you put a mat on the entrance to the hive, the bees will wipe their feet and not get the hive so dirty.


That's really the root of the problem here. Dang bees!


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Ha, haa! But these are supposed to bee the hygienic bees.
I'm sure they know how to clean up the hives. Who knows they might
even know how to lick their feet like the cats do.


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## Kofu (Jan 26, 2011)

beepro said:


> ... Then OA and bleach at 5% bath solution. Again, the purpose is to just whiten up the comb.


Uh, maybe that's like a really bad idea? :no:

Chlorine bleach mixed with an acid = chlorine gas?

I knew a guy who mixed ammonia and bleach to whiten up the floor, and they found him laid out on the floor. I'm not a chemist, but that taught me to be careful about mixing bleach with anything.

Google says that mixing bleach with other acids (even vinegar) has a similar effect.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I understand that any chemical in full strength is extremely dangerous when
mixed together esp. when not knowing how they will react. That is why before I mix things I would do it in very small amount first just
to see how they will react when put together. i.e. put a 1/4 teaspoon into a mixing bowl of each
chemical and stay far away from them just to observe the reaction. No acid burn or any funny smell to confirm in
an open air environment. The same with the OAV burning before putting them on the bees to kill off the mites.
The response on H2O2 by a future chemist here is the one I use for this experiment. So the first H2O2 solution
had 60% water in it. Water is neutral to dilute things. Still enough for the reaction to get cold and loosen up the cocoons. 
Thanks for the cautionary response. Imagine a small cup of bleach 1 oz. with 1/4 tesp of OA in a mixing bowl in an open air environment.


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

Two chemists walk into a bar. The first says, "I'll have some H20." The second ones says, "I'll have some H20, too." 

The second one dies.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

H2O,2!

Hope my eggs/larvae did not die from this frame at 2nd week already.
I'll do a hive check today.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Here is the clean out comb that is full of pollen and eggs right now.
I don't see anymore cocoons but just clean cells for the yellow queen to lay.
Mite level is extremely low now. They are expanding from edge to edge with an after the solstice 
prolific queen from last year that I raised. Can you spot the queen?


Clean up frame:


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## Kofu (Jan 26, 2011)

beepro said:


> I understand that any chemical in full strength is extremely dangerous when mixed together esp. when not knowing how they will react. ... Imagine a small cup of bleach 1 oz. with 1/4 tsp of OA in a mixing bowl in an open air environment.


Still a bad idea (means don't do it! :no: ) -- just not so much chlorine gas all at once. That's where a knowledge of chemistry is useful (and the ignorance factor kicks in, for me).

t: I used Google one time to explore the question of how to neutralize the "bleach" smell from using a bleach solution to clean fruits and veggies, and I came up with rinsing with hydrogen peroxide. I've tried it a few times with no deadly effect. (Well, maybe a few less brain cells, but who's counting? :shhhh: )

But seriously, Beepro, you don't need to be trying out for the Darwin Awards. [A tongue-in-cheek honor, recognizing individuals who have contributed to human evolution by self-selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization via their own (unnecessarily foolish) actions.]


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks for the heads-up!
I'll keep that in minds the next time I play with the chemicals.
The OAV and comb chemical projects are done. The next one is 
the swarm trapping project at the local farm.


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