California Code of Regulations
Title 3 - Food and Agriculture
Division 4 - Plant Industry
Chapter 3 - Entomology and Plant Quarantine
Subchapter 1 - Apiaries
Article 2 - Construction and Operation of Licensed Wax-Salvage Plants
Section 2978 - Operation of Licensed Wax-Salvage Plants

(a) A record shall be kept at the plant itemizing all diseased hives, appliances and comb received for treatment and showing the name and address of the owner of such diseased material. Such records shall be made available to the inspector upon request.

(b) Contaminated material received at a plant shall at no time be exposed to robbing by bees.

(c) All diseased hives, appliances and comb awaiting treatment at the plant shall be stored within the enclosure.

(d) All salvage operations shall be performed within the enclosure, except as provided in Subsection (j).

(e) Doors into the vestibule shall remain closed except during entry or exit.

(f) No bees shall be permitted to escape from the enclosure or vestibule.

(g) All comb and the contents of all frames shall be held not less than 30 minutes in boiling water in a vat.

(h) Honey shall not be salvaged.

(i) The frames, after removal of their contents, shall be boiled not less than 20 minutes in a solution of lye water in a vat.

(j) The hive bodies, supers, covers and bottom boards shall be boiled not less than 20 minutes in a solution of lye water in a vat or shall be disinfected by scorching. Such articles may be removed from the enclosure for immediate scorching at the premises provided they are free of bees, honey and adhering comb.

(k) Hives and appliances having surfaces which cannot be disinfected by scorching shall be boiled not less than 20 minutes in a solution of lye water in a vat.

(l) The lye water solution shall be prepared using not less than one pound of lye to each 10 gallons of water. Before treated articles are removed from the lye water solution, all scum and other floating waste shall be skimmed or otherwise removed from the surface of the solution. After removal of treated articles, the vat shall be drained and new solution prepared or sufficient lye shall be added to restore the solution to its original strength.

(m) Hives, appliances and wax, which have undergone treatment as herein prescribed, may be removed from the enclosure providing such treated articles are immediately placed on clean pallets to prevent contact with the floor and are otherwise handled within the enclosure in a manner to prevent contact with any contaminated object or material.

(n) All solid refuse, including press cake, awaiting disposal, treatment or processing shall be kept within the enclosure.

(o) Solid refuse which has been boiled 20 minutes in the lye water solution or press cake may be removed from the enclosure and buried at a site which has been approved by the Agricultural Commissioner of the county in which the plant is located.

(p) All solid refuse which has not been boiled 20 minutes in the lye water solution shall be burned to ash in an incinerator at the premises, except that dry press cake may be delivered to a solvent extraction plant for further processing.

(q) If the incinerator is detached from the enclosure, no contaminated material or material from within the enclosure shall be placed in the incinerator except during the actual process of burning, and no unburned combustible material shall be left in the incinerator.

(r) Floors shall be cleaned at the end of each day's operation.

(s) Settling tanks located outside the enclosure shall at no time be open when bees are flying.

(t) The contents of a cesspool containing waste from an enclosure may be emptied only with the approval of the Agricultural Commissioner of the county in which the plant is located, under such safeguards as the Commissioner may prescribe to prevent exposure of contaminated waste to bees at any time during the removal, transportation and ultimate disposal of such waste.