# Second hand hives **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [March 17, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700 "2021-03-17T11:20:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marcusk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/marcusk/32/24653_2.png) [@Marcusk](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Marcusk)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 11:20am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/1 "2021-03-17T11:20:29Z")
Hello all Would it be too risky to get used boxes (empty), bases, queen excluders etc, of an unknown former bee keeper? even tough they haven’t been used for a few years? How long diseases remain viable in the boxes? is there a suitable way to disinfect them? I intend to prepare a few brood boxes and get ready to bring 2 or 3 nucs in the spring (September/October). Any thoughts? thank you Marcus ---
**Author:** ![Eva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@Eva](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Eva)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/2 "2021-03-17T12:19:33Z")
Hi Marcus, you should probably scorch that wooden ware to kill off any possible AFB spores - these can remain viable for 20 years. Other less formidable pests like wax moth cocoons should be easy to spot and scrape away. As I recall from previous posts on the topic, you should make sure your boxes are well aired out after a scorching event before putting a new colony in. ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/3 "2021-03-17T21:30:41Z")
I agree with Eva, I always scrape clean before scorching any second hand beekeeping gear. I have heard that AFB spores stay viable for up to 40 years. I found that colonies without brood will abscond from a freshly scorched box. They wont abscond if I include lots of brood. A little bit of lemongrass oil also helps in holding a colony to a freshly scorched box. ---
**Author:** ![Freebee2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/freebee2/32/18643_2.png) [@Freebee2](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Freebee2)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/4 "2021-03-18T03:28:52Z")
Hah and I’ve heard 70! Regardless, it’s long enough that we want to be certain not to have any around… ---
**Author:** ![Marcusk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/marcusk/32/24653_2.png) [@Marcusk](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Marcusk)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:28am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/5 "2021-03-18T09:28:21Z")
I think I like wood work more than just the idea of having AFB. Not worth the the risk in my first year… Thank you all!! ---
**Author:** ![Doug1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/doug1/32/12603_2.png) [@Doug1](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Doug1)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/6 "2021-03-18T15:31:09Z")
Short term pain for long term gain…good move [Marcusk](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Marcusk)! ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/7 "2021-03-18T21:55:06Z")
Definitely the right decision to make Marcus. All the second hand stuff I scraped before scorching was given to me. I certainly wouldn’t be in the market for second hand stuff. One thing I do with all my boxes is treat with copper naphthenate. Hoop pine or radiata pine is susceptible to dry rot. Water has a habit of getting under paint & causing dry rot. ---
**Author:** ![Marcusk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/marcusk/32/24653_2.png) [@Marcusk](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Marcusk)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/8 "2021-03-18T22:33:09Z")
Thank you Jeff Do I paint outside only or inside AND outside? ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/9 "2021-03-19T03:57:41Z")
Hi Marcus, it’s up to you what you do. Personally after letting the copper naphthenate completely dry, I apply 2-3 coats of water base good quality house paint inside AND outside. I mix the copper n. with about 80% turps, then let each side of a box soak for about 6 hours. The beekeeping community is a bit divided on whether to paint the inside or not. You’ll have to make your own mind up on which way you want to go. I feel that I have another 30 good years of beekeeping left in me, being only in my seventy fourth year. Therefore I want my gear to last the distance. cheers PS You need to try to avoid this from happening, if at all possible. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/original/3X/5/e/5e34d9343ca72f60f6860cdd6b0a04fab3b50144.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Marcusk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/marcusk/32/24653_2.png) [@Marcusk](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Marcusk)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 11:07am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/10 "2021-03-19T11:07:44Z")
That’s a bit of a bummer, Jeff That means I only have 30 years left to learn something about beekeeping then… You may be required to stay around a bit longer than that… Thank you for your advice. I may have to swap the box from the brood box and give it better treatment as only varnished it when I got it last spring. Any suggestions to do this swap other than being very careful with the queen? Is it best that I wait for the spring or do I do it soon? Thanks again Marcus ---
**Author:** ![JeffH](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jeffh/32/7192_2.png) [@JeffH](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/JeffH)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/second-hand-hives/29700/11 "2021-03-19T20:41:16Z")
You’re welcome Marcus. Just pick a warm dry day & put the frames back in the same order. Work from the rear of your hive & keep your smoker going to assist you in not squashing bees while placing frames etc,