I just picked up an awesome deal on equipment. 100 drawn out frames, 10 deep bodies, 5 inner covers/ outer covers/ hive stands... all for 150 bucks! The beekeeper said that the hives died over the winter and he decided not to replace them. I got them home, and it smelled like a lot of the honey left in the comb was fermented. The honey was very runny and the caps were soft. There was some wax moth damage as well as a mouse nest in one deep. I went through and got maybe 50 of the best frames (no honey) and put them in a freezer to kill off the wax moth larvae and honey ants.
Now, I am not sure if I should just scrap the frames / foundation or if it would be ok to put into a hive? The guy I got them from said it was medicated feed from the fall, but I just don't know. I didn't see any signs of afb, but did see dead bees in the classic starved position.
Any suggestions?
heres the the asorted answers you will get
1) dont use the frames
2) remove comb from frames and bleach the wood
3) if you can indentify foul brood and dont see any sign use the frames
4) scorch the inside of the boxes
5) just use them and dont worry about it
6) Capped honey should not ferment
7) for another 20.00 you have all the makings of a weenie roast
point is no one can tell you its safe or not. I would personally look the stuff over. Look for scale in the bottom of cells. Dont expect to find snotty larva because they dry up fast. They will look more like tar sitting in the bottom of cells. If you find capped brood with pin holes in the capping, dig a few out. They should look close to developed. Also 150.00 is not a super deal for 10 boxes.
earlier this year I picked up a big lot of used equipment. I got some comb but decided it wasn't worth the risk to use the comb. I removed and burned the comb. I scorch all the boxes and frames before I use them. I'm going foundationless so scorching and usng the frames is fairly easy. You have to judge the risk of disease in the drawn comb and decide if you want to use it.
If you're thinking of gambling and using them as is, maybe you could set up a new bee yard far enough from your existing yard to keep it safe.
I have bought lots of used equipment. Lots. I still run old frames with old foundation. I put the frames to work if the foundation looks good. Not eat up too back or busted. I have pressure washed real bad frames to blow off the cocoons and foundation and comb. Then add new foundation. I use to worry about it and torch everything, but not anymore.
One thing to remember that any dead hives from the last 20 years most likely died from mites or starvation. (or starvation from the results of mites)