Sterilizing frames

[sean]

Hey!, Morning/Afternoon/Night to all,  is there any homemade concoction that can be used to sterilize frames?(drawn out)

[Finsky]

Northing home made. Virkon S is a stuff which kill for example AFB, if combs do not have pupa silk.

Ice acetic kills nosema spores, but ofcourse they are alive in the hive.

[pdmattox]

I use the Bt Azawi powder, not sure about sterilize-maybe freeze em.

[sean]

Ok. will do a search to see if any of those chemicals are sold here. Doubt it though, thanks.

[Cindi]

Sean, what's going on?  Why do you need to sterilize the frames, you have given us a mystery, and mystery needs to be solved  ;) :) :)  Beautiful life, great day, Cindi

[sc-bee]

All the old beeks I know boil them in a solution of Lye and water. You know the kind you make lye soap from. Now it is hard to find the lye in small quantities because of the new demand for it (at least here in the U.S.).

Maybe an older beek can give you the exact quantaties, lye to water. And the precautions of handling the lye!!!

O.K. guys I opened myself up( dangers of the chemical)----let it rippppp!!!! For or against the Lye boil !!!

[Finsky]

All the old beeks I know boil them in a solution of Lye and water.
Maybe an older beek can give you the exact quantaties, lye to water. And the precautions of handling the lye!!!

Your crammy/mom have washed white clothes with lye when there were no special soap in old days. 

  And the precautions from old farts  of handling the lye.................I hope that you are in condition.

Lye is only used to clean frames, not combs.

  And the precautions of handling the lye!!!

Höh höh

O.K. guys I opened myself up( dangers of the chemical

Those chemicals are just normal use in many places. Nothing have been done for bees.  Have you sleeped in shool during chemistr lessons?

Chemistry is one of basic civilization   . :-D It is not a branch of religion.
.

[Finsky]

VIRKON S as sterilizing chemical

http://www.antecint.co.uk/main/disease.htm

It has been tested - at least in Scandinavia- that common used Virkon S is suitable for sterilizing new, white combs. If comb has pupa cocoons, a least part of bacterium are in safe under cocoons.

Virkon S act like hydrogen peroxide. It oksidizes viruses and bacterias.

Last summer I sterilized combs for AFB. I soften honey filled combs in warm water one day. Then I shaked water away and soaked into Virkon water. It acted a while and then shaked water back in Virkon container.  It was a hard job but I saved a lot good combs.

AFB is mainly in old honey and move to brood area when you give last summer supers on hives. That is why super combs must be sterized - if you have disease.

Virkon is quite expencive stuff. It is used to sterilize greenhouses, milk handling apparatus and many kind of systems which may be comtaminated with unwanted micro-organism. Surely it is cheaper than burn combs.

I just hope that those who know nothing, do not put their spoon in this soup.  :-P

If you have troupbles with ABF, you get rid off it when you shake bees from hive and let them marsh onto foundations. Hive boxes, bottoms etc you may sterilize with butane flame.

Perhaps it is against to law but ... after treatment your hives stand officials' checking.

http://www.apimondia.org/apiacta/articles/2003/hansen_1.pdf


In Germany it has tested that AFB is to be seen 2 years earlier via spore cultivation than it come visible symptons.

AFB is a big serious story. 

[sc-bee]

>Your crammy/mom have washed white clothes with lye when there were no special soap in old days.

Yes they did!!! And an art lost that you see around here sometimes in re-enactment camps ) lye soap making.

>And the precautions from old farts  of handling the lye.................I hope that you are in condition.

Wow Finsky--- where do you fit in in the above quotes :-D ;) :). Just kidding  ;).

I agree with the precautions of lye 100 % with you , but figured someone would be ready to tear me apart on it with all the hoop-la about chems etc.

And as my son would say MY BAD!!! I missed the part where it said DRAWN!!! Was thinking of frames. Thanks for the correction.

Oh yes I did sleep in Chemistry class --- and I think also the one on diplomatic foreign relations :) ;). The precaution I was thinking of was something an old beek told me about adding it to boiling water????

By the way I love old FARTS  :shock: ;).

[Cindi]

Finsky, that Danish study was intriguing.

What does "apimondia" mean?  I see it so many times in research.  I think it is something that I want to know more about the definition.  I think that sometimes "apimondia" is a place or an event where beekeepers come to study?

I get that this study shows that the shaking of bees into new hives, on new foundation, allowing them to use the honey in their honey stomachs all up helps to relieve the clinical symptoms of AFB.   Very few spores are present after shaking, still some are there, but not to cause concern with the colony.  The use of OTC does not really seem to help, the control bees that did not receive anitibiotics did just as well as the ones that did.  I see that some of the colonies did not even have the symptoms of AFB at all after being infected.  These were hygienic bees I understand, had immunity to AFB spores.  Interesting.  Do you have some other studies that you think are good.  I know I can look on the internet, but it seems to have a pretty good handle on excellent studies.  Have a wonderful and great day, Cindi

[Cindi]

Finsky, Virkon S.  Is that similar enough to hydrogen peroxide to use it within the sterilizing field?  C.

[Mici]

OT:

Apimondia is an annual world beek get together, a beekeeping fair.
something in that sense....
every year only once, the biggest beek event, every year in some other country, we hosted it in 2003
this year it's down-under (http://www.apimondia2007melbourne.com/english/welcome.php)

[Cindi]

Mici, oh that is cool.  I thought it had something to do with worldwide beekeeping meeting.  Thanks for the clarification.  I see that was in September, down under. 

One day I would love to be able to travel worldwide to attend one of these annual events.  It would be a wonderful place to go, wherever it is held, to be with masters of the beekeeping world.  Yea!!!  One fine day.  Have a beautiful and great day, Cindi

[Finsky]

Dont drink too much sea water, it kils.
Distilled kills too. It is too clean. 
i think that chemistry is not a strenghtnes of this forum.

[Cindi]

Finksy, you are correct, we for the most part are probably not chemists -- we are just every day beekeepers, love to bee keep.  There may be some of us that have strength in this field called "chemistry", but I would think for the most part, we are just humans that are trying to gain strength of knowledge to become great beekeepers.  And I sure hope none of us drink sea water  :shock: :shock: :shock:  :)  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, Cindi

[Finsky]

If you clean frames or hives with harmles stuff, it surely harms pathogens either. I hope that if you are common people, you may use you common sence too. You need not need invent wheel every day. Every week is enough.

[Cindi]

Good, Finsky.  Weekly is sufficient.  Have a wonderful and great day, Cindi

[Finsky]

.
If you get lye on your skin, pour household acetic acid on site and rub it. Acid neutralize lye.

If hands feel slibby, it means that you have lye in hands. I keep acetic spray near and I spray acid to hands so that their feel normal.