The bees had absconded and the robbers had taken 30 pounds. There were many small larvae present, but not hiding from the light. They were most likely SHB larvae, but there were a few wax moth larvae present as well.After submerging the frames (brood and super) in water for 30+ minutes. I rinsed with the garden hose and pressure nozzle taking off lots of debris, pollen, weak wax etc. One especially stubborn large larvae had swum around for quite a while before diving back into the water and wriggling into a comb. I took a bit of pleasure in blasting him out of his hidin'hole and squishing him. I didn't feel the drowning was enough, so I froze the brood box in the deep freeze. I left the super in garage for the two days until I switched them out. The super is still in the freezer. This is because when I took the brood box out I decided the garage was warm enough and dry enough for any additional water to be evaporated. That was Thursday night.
By Saturday morning I noticed some white mold on the outside of some of the comb. I followed the advice and put the frames out into the sunshine and open air. Some bees found the frames, but not many. Perhaps the bleach scent was still there and kept them away.
The structure of the comb is not conducive for evaporation without help -- that's why the ladies spend so much time fanning in the hive, I guess. So Sunday, it occurred to me, if I wanted to really make sure that any thing and everything was dead: larvae, beetles, and now the mold, why not just dehydrate the boxes and frames.
The melting point of bees was is 140. It get "friable" or crumbly at about 120. I'm now dehydrating five frame in a convection over set to 100 degrees, with door propped open. I'll leave it over night -- the usual dehydration time for vegetables, apples and the like. I'm using the oldest frames and ones that I'll be OK if this doesn't work and I have to destroy them . . that is if this doesn't do that anyway.
