Acetic acid fumigation - Nosema

[Beeline]

Anyone have experience with using 80% acetic acid to fumigate their equipment. Seems it will kill Nosema spores which is my interest.

How much would one use for brood and half volume?
How do you apply it?
How long must the drawn frames be aired before they are usable?
I was keen to use the deept frames for bait hives - would this fumigation remove this natural smell that attracts bees to old frames?

It appears from various searches that sulphur does not kill nosema spores.

Sorry - quite a few questions.

Thanks.

 

[Ruary]

Anyone have experience with using 80% acetic acid to fumigate their equipment. Seems it will kill Nosema spores which is my interest.

How much would one use for brood and half volume?
How do you apply it?
How long must the drawn frames be aired before they are usable?
I was keen to use the deept frames for bait hives - would this fumigation remove this natural smell that attracts bees to old frames?

It appears from various searches that sulphur does not kill nosema spores.

Sorry - quite a few questions.

Thanks.

Place boxes on solid floor, then the boxes use a pad which is capable of absorbing liquid and place it on top, pour 1/4 pint of the acid onto the pad. Place crown board over seal fed hole. Use duck tape to seal joints. leave in open exposed to natural wamth for at least a week. Then air.

As regards removing attractive aromas my brother saw a swarm entering a box which had only just had the seals removed, so bee will go in.
Ruary

 

[Beeline]

Thanks for the reply Ruary - I have since ordered 1L of 80% Acetic acid to not only kill the spores on these frames but also to be used on an annual basis to thoroughly clean my equipment.

 

[beebreeder]

Be very careful, I presume you have plastic frame runners and brass nails, it attacks anything ferrous, eg. steel, plated or otherwise and rots it to nothing quickly, if your wax wire is steel that will rust and leave black stains, if you do have steel runners then cover with vaseline. I used it once but will have to have a very good reason to use it again

 

[Finman]

.
The boxes is better to put into a big plastic sack and in out temp about 20C.

 

[Beeline]

Beebreeder - comments and advice are noted thanks. Strange that it attacks concrete and steel but not plastic.

Finman - Sounds a good idea to put them in a large binbag. That way it is guaranteed air tight.

Now just have to wait until temp rises back beyond the benchmark temp of 16 degrees. Bad timing as last week was perfect.