Cleaning a bee suit

[Irwin]

How do you clean a bee suit? Got a used one for the granddaughter and want to make sure it is clean and free of AFB if any is there??

[jimmy]

Wish I could answer your question. I have a couple that need to be cleaned also but, we can't remove the hood to wash in washing machine,
If you get an answer, please PM me because I may miss any replys.

[KONASDAD]

Look for a care label inside the suit. Usually, you can wash coats and hoods, but no drying. I cant seem to get my gloves clean is my problem. The leather is hard from propolis and honey, and the nylon uppers are slimy w/ honey from cutouts. They feel yucky to put on.

[bassman1977]

Can't say about the gloves, but if you are concerned about AFB being on the suit, which I find unlikely, wash it with bleach.  Bleach kills even viruses such as HIV.

[Irwin]

Thank's all :-D I think I'll put it in the tub and put in some bleach and some soap and do a hand wash.

[Pond Creek Farm]

I rub alcohol on my gloves to wash off the honey and propolis.  I then rub oil into the leather.  Works fine for me.

[rast]

 Irwin, I actually took mine to a dry cleaners. They took a look at it and said that they couldn't get this clean in one day like they advertise. I kinda already knew that, it was after extraction and I use my belly when I am carrying them. $7.50 and two days later I couldn't believe the difference. Of course it doesn't look that now.

[Irwin]

The guy called last night and said his wife had already sold it. :-x They must not talk very much :-X I was a bit sad last night because I was looking forward to having my granddaughter helping me  :'(

[Bill W.]

Hey Irwin,

I have a kid-sized bee suit that I got with a bunch of used gear.  No kids here, so it just sits in a box.  If you'll return whatever I pay for postage, I'll send it to you.  Just e-mail me your address.

Bill

[Irwin]

I email you Bill W.

[Michael Bush]

AFB is not spread by beesuits.

[bmacior]

what about tools?

[Michael Bush]

>what about tools?

Extremely doubtful.  It takes a certain concentration of spores for it even to get started and that's unlikely to come from anywhere but infected brood comb or bees robbing honey from infected comb brood comb that had honey in it.  I know of no documented case where it was spread by anything else. Of course it's easy enough to use your self igniting torch, which is the best smoker lighter ever, to run some flame over your hive tool if you've been in an infected hive.

[dpence]

Clorox clean-up works wonders on tools.  It removes propolis very nicely.

David

[Brian D. Bray]

>what about tools?

Extremely doubtful.  It takes a certain concentration of spores for it even to get started and that's unlikely to come from anywhere but infected brood comb or bees robbing honey from infected comb brood comb that had honey in it.  I know of no documented case where it was spread by anything else. Of course it's easy enough to use your self igniting torch, which is the best smoker lighter ever, to run some flame over your hive tool if you've been in an infected hive.

I've known AFB to be spread hive to hive by contaminated hive tools and gloves.  Was even guilty of it once myself, in the early years.

[Moonshae]

I throw my gloves in the washerand dryer regularly. When they come out of the dryer, I put them on and massage olive oil into the leather parts to keep them soft. Works great. Doesn't remove the staining, but it gets them clean.

Suit and veil go into the wash, but the veil doesn't go into the dryer.

[bmacior]

So theoritically AFB on a suit could infect a hive, though probably not likely.