I don’t know- with a thermometer and a timer- I don’t see it’s that hard to go wrong. It’s like deep frying chips:space_invader:
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Although currently under review here’s our guidelines if AFB is found in a colony.
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/bees/preventing-spread-american-foulbrood-disease
And in the last paragraph;
Diseased hives can be either decontaminated by irradiation or wax dipping, or destroyed. Some hive components can be decontaminated using 1% sodium hypochlorite.
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Hope it’s the same in SA
Not so much that it’s difficult to get correct, but for 'authorities to ensure that people actually do it & do it the right way, no slackers 
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I’m happy for the bee inspector to come and watch and hold my hand if they want to 
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I like how without knowing me the person, without hearing my tone or voice inflection, you got offended; or didn’t you? I dont know you, can’t hear your tone or voice inflection lol
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In the uk an AFB colony has to be killed on the frames then burnt on the frames along with boxes. Usually petrol poured down onto the bees. Quick and effective. We are allowed to sterilise poly hives with bleach.
We have bee inspectors who are always happy to look through a colony if there is something worrying you. No charge. If you report that you suspect either of the foul broods you’ll get s visit within a matter of days
It was a Flow hive purchased from Flow, it just didn’t have the super on at the time. It did have the pitched roof on which had to be irradiated. This person was a Flow beekeeper, like it or not, there is no point trying to split hairs just because the super wasn’t on. This happens to Flow hive owners too.
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The reason they endorse irradiation is it is carried out by trained professionals that can then provide verifiable proof to both the hive owner and the chief vet in the form of certification that everything was treated to a standard. Not only that, wax dipping is dangerous at the temperatures required if you’re encouraging people to do it themselves. As has been mentioned before, how good are plastic, polystyrene hives and tools/bee suits after wax dipping? Irradiation works for everything.
Anytime anyone introduces ambiguity into the process it causes confusion for the average beekeeper when the time comes to treat the hive. Keeping one message that irradiation is the endorsed method removes this ambiguity.
We had an incident this season where an apiary was reinfected because a nuc box wasn’t correctly sterilised.
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Unfortunately the majority of hives we come across through both swarm collection and AFB detection in the region are unregistered. We are slowly trying to improve this by offering value for the registration (eg. Disease notification).
Registration is completely free in the ACT, but I think people are concerned that registering will lead to a future fee/tax on hive ownership.
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I’m assuming AFB is transferred by the spores. Are the spores carried by the bees? If so there would be another colony around in the area with AFB, yes?
When commercial beeks get AFB do they report it? I saw an article of a comm beek suing another as they lost colonys due to a pollen swapping deal with another. Comm beek who claimed he didn’t have AFB.
@Anon, my point was that regardless of whether you own a Flowhive or not the same measures should be taken.
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Hi Jack, Water Bears would probably survive that temperature.
PS, I just checked, they can withstand up to 150degC.
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Agreed skeggley,
My point was, with the enormous investment per hive compared to conventional keeps, and the lack of beekeeping knowledge displayed by new keeps (Flow or not), I hope through education, they do the right thing.
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Wow ! I never did know for sure what happening to my 8 to 10 hives in 1960’s but my wife thinks she remembers dad burning everything when I was in Nam. Dad never did write or tell me. I’m guessing he thot or knew it was BAD (possibly AFB). Dads been gone since 1980 n moms gone so I’ll only be guessing other than I never saw anything but the Smoker he made me ! 
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I feel the apprehension n uncertainty !
Gerald
that’s funny Jeff: hardly anyone would know what a water bear is (tardigrade)- but I got into microscopy a few years ago when I bought a large number of vintage microscopes- and as part of that I came across water bears. I even went out hunting them in moss and managed to find and observe one with one of my microscopes. It took me hours to find one- and then when I finally had it in my scopes it sauntered out of view and I could never find it again… I spent an hour or two scanning this tiny slide- under the microscope it was an endless mossy tundra with seemingly infinite space for water bears to hide in… Amazing little alien like beings- microscopic yet vaguely humanoid… I’ll have to try and find another one…
I still have a lot of my microscopes- old vintage Leica ones- and intend to look into pollen identification when I get the time.
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Hi Jack, that’s fantastic. I first heard about them on the radio one Sunday evening on the ABC. I was interested to investigate them further. They reckon they would be the only creatures to survive a nuclear holocaust. Whenever I look at moss, I always wonder if there are any in it. Just like after I discovered ‘numbers in nature’, I count petals on flowers & look to see growth patterns.
I understand your point RBK- but I think there could be a place for hot wax dipping and dealing with AFB. I don’t think many people would be able to simply decide to hot wax dip on their own- as it is not so easy to just do. You need a lot of wax- and a hot dipping set-up- it’s not cheap to simply try and do it. I was certainly not encouraging people to do it themselves per-se- yes its dangerous- but within reason- I would say using a chainsaw is just as or more dangerous- and hot wax dipping is not much different than frying chips: also dangerous- but something a lot of people do. Come to think of it driving cars is very dangerous…
For just the odd hive it’s almost certianly cheaper to go irradiation. Having said that: what does irradiation cost and how easy is it to get it done? Is it cost effective for a single hive? Is it cost effective for bee suits and tools? I don’t know anything about how or where it’s done or what it costs.
perhaps- and I am only saying perhaps: some of the commercial sized wax dipping operations could offer an accredited AFB wax dipping treatment service?
having said that: it seems to me a lot of commercial apiarists with wax dippers do it for themselves mostly and do not offer a wax dipping service. When I wanted to have my hives dipped I tried in vain to find anyone in South Australia who would do it for me. I sent out a request through our commercial apiarists association- but I heard nothing back. That’s why I ended up doing it myself. I guess also they probably don’t want to have AFB infected stuff anywhere near their properties either… still in any case I was just curious about whether it was a viable option- it seems to me that it may be a more economical and environmentally sound option. After all- it not only treats your hive it also preserves the wood!
Which is what I would want…verifiable proof!
DPIPWE and Biosecurity Tasmania have guidelines for Foulbrood. Apparently it is not possible to irradiate in Tasmania and hot dipping in wax is problematic here also.
So is burning it all the only option in Tasmania then? Even for a flow box and frames? In that case, I wouldn’t get a flow hive. Too much loss in case of AFB. And probably too many affected beekeepers cheating somehow if that kind of value is involved, which would mean all Tasmanian hives are at high risk of infection.
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