Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: KES on April 02, 2008, 05:31:03 PM

Title: How to clean a BeeMax feeder box?
Post by: KES on April 02, 2008, 05:31:03 PM
I have two BeeMax, polystyrene, hivetop feeder boxes. The one on my Italian hive is still clean after about 3 weeks of use. However, the feeder box on the Russian hive has a lot of mold and mildew all over it. The Russians weren't taking any of the syrup so I took it off and brought it home to clean.

My question is; what do I clean it with? Bleach water? Dish soap water?

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

K
Title: Re: How to clean a BeeMax feeder box?
Post by: reinbeau on April 02, 2008, 05:39:54 PM
Bleach water will work, don't worry about the chlorine, it'll dissipate - plus our girls seem to enjoy a bit of chlorine, for some strange reason!  Be sure to rinse it well, though, and protect your hands from too much exposure, I don't know about the rest of you, but that stuff gets right into my system if I let it get too much on my skin, I can actually taste it.  Yech!
Title: Re: How to clean a BeeMax feeder box?
Post by: KES on April 02, 2008, 05:47:53 PM
Thanks reinbeau, I'll give that a shot.  By the way, I think I've met you in BH forum. (I'm Scoobie over there)  Nice to see you again.  :)
Title: Re: How to clean a BeeMax feeder box?
Post by: reinbeau on April 02, 2008, 05:49:54 PM
Quote from: KES on April 02, 2008, 05:47:53 PM
Thanks reinbeau, I'll give that a shot.  By the way, I think I've met you in BH forum. (I'm Scoobie over there)  Nice to see you again.  :)
Nice to read you again, too, Scoobie!  Us forum people always seem to find each other in the strangest places.....I think I knew you were a beek over there, too, somehow.
Title: Re: How to clean a BeeMax feeder box?
Post by: Moonshae on April 02, 2008, 11:00:21 PM
If you mix honey B healthy into your syrup at the recommended amount, the syrup lasts much, much longer. I have yet to find mold in a feeder whose feed had HBH mixed in, regardless of how long it took the bees to empty it.