Can I reuse the comb from this absconded colony?

[TwoHoneys]

One of my colonies absconded, and I want to know if I can reuse the comb.

This colony originated as a swarm and built up well. But although I spotted the queen on an inspection two weeks ago, the population had dwindled. I left town for a week, and when I returned, there were only enough bees to cover two frames, no queen, no larvae.

There were many dead bees on the SBB, but not mounds and mounds of them, so I think they absconded...nothing smelled foul, though there were a number of dead emerging brood on one frame. 

I shook the living bees out in the yard and removed their boxes. But I wonder if it's okay to reuse the comb from their hive...I don't want to introduce pesticides (or whatever made this colony fail) to a new colony.

-Liz

[D Coates]

I've never had one obscond (knock on wood) but I've had plenty of dead outs through the years.  I reuse all resources.  Personally, the only time I wouldn't reuse the comb is if I found AFB or smelled insecticide.

[JP]

liz, go ahead and reuse the comb. a new hive will clean up any disagreeables unless as don has mentioned there are contamination issues which I don't is the case with your hive in question.


...JP

[TwoHoneys]

Thanks, D Coates and JP. I'll get all that drawn comb into another hive right away.

-Liz

[AllenF]

Never waste good comb, as long as you know it is good.