acetic acid

[bbadger07]

can anyone advise me where i can get a small amount of acetic acid to treat some foundation and frames which are slighty mouldy, ive had to through a load away these remaining ones will be ok, could i just spray them with something like lemon and water solution?? or how about some costic soda with hot water just to give them a light steam application, if these methods sound a bit daft please let me know, thanks members for your advice, oh and its gonna cost a bit to buy new frames for my commercial supers what a bugger!! I will stores my gear alot better next time, what an expensive learning curve....

 

[Phayze]

DON'T put caustic soda with hot water it is dangerous risk of burns to yourself as it reacts violently

 

[Hivemaker.]

can anyone advise me where i can get a small amount of acetic acid

E-Bay.

 

[oliver90owner]

Bonneymans, The soap kitchen.

More rapidly becomes a cheaper rate.

Often sold in glacial form and would need diluting to 80%, which is the recommended strength of solution.

 

[Finman]

.
Moldy parts need no treatment. You may scrap mouldy parts in cold air but over all bees cean mouldy wax. No chemicals needed.

You may cut moldy patch off and glue a fresh foundation piece on site. Use melted wax as a glue.
But bees clean all spoiled parts as said. They chew bad wax down and make new combs.

.

 

[bbadger07]

thanks for your reply but ive used costic in hot water before

 

[bbadger07]

i can get it off ebay, its says its 99.5% on the COC so i guess i will have to water it down a little

 

[oliver90owner]

You may have to melt it first!!

So long since I have checked when diluting ethanoic that I cannot recall whether it gets warm. Doubtful it is a problem but the standard method of dilution is acid stirred into water, not as you said literally 'watering it down'.

You always pour the higher S.G. liquid into the lower S.G. one.

RAB

 

[hedgerow pete]

can i just point out that acetic acid is vinegar, use use the standard distilled or clear vinegar rather than chip malt vinegar,

its avalible at asda tescos etc and very very cheap

 

[Finman]

When frames a little bit mouldly, no cleaning agents are needeed. This chain has again advices for nothing.

Mold is very common in beehives after winter. Bees shew down mold spoiled cells and they built it again. Often they clean combs up to foundation.
Even if you wash the wax, bees must renew it.

I cross my fingers if at least some one listen to me.

 

[oliver90owner]

can i just point out that acetic acid is vinegar

Are you suggesting ethanoic at ~10% would be as effective as at 80%? Somehow, I doubt it is, or it would have been used diluted much more (than to 80%) for the simple reason of safety.

 

[oliver90owner]

I cross my fingers if at least some one listen to me.

I know that and you know that, but the OP asked for a source of Ethanoic acid - and that is what he has received.

Telling him just to re-use the frames is an issue as we do not know the background - as to whether there may be some infection. Far better to err on the safe side than infect the subsequent users of those frames, don't you think? or maybe not?

 

[Ruary]

can i just point out that acetic acid is vinegar, use use the standard distilled or clear vinegar rather than chip malt vinegar,

its avalible at asda tescos etc and very very cheap

Not quite accurate vinegar is acetic acid diluted to about 10%. The acetic acid used to disinfect frames is diluted to 80%. believe me there is a difference. If you don't beleive me try dipping your fingers into each solution . You skin will be corroded with the stronger mixture
Ruary

 

[susbees]

thanks for your reply but ive used costic in hot water before

No you haven't - you've used washing soda not caustic soda. Caustic soda is used for making soap and is pretty evil and dangerous stuff and capable of killing if eg. ingested in error (and has). Washing soda is used for cleaning hive tools, gloves, propolised bits and pieces etc....and drains.

And with Ruary on the differences between 80% acetic and 10% chip vinegar. But dipping your fingers in the 80% would be a daft experiment - but you knew he didn't mean it dear reader, didn't you?

 

[Russel]

There are suppliers that erroneously make the same vinegar statement HP made.

Just out of interest how long would say a 5ltrs last a beek with about 10 colonies and associated hive boxes etc. I ask this as somehow I've become partly responsible for our associations kit and wondering how much to order?

Russ

 

[itma]

I cross my fingers if at least some one listen to me.

I know that and you know that, but the OP asked for a source of Ethanoic acid - and that is what he has received.

Telling him just to re-use the frames is an issue as we do not know the background - as to whether there may be some infection. Far better to err on the safe side than infect the subsequent users of those frames, don't you think? or maybe not?

There might be an other reason, or maybe he didn't understand.


The advice is that for mould, leave it to the bees.
Don't use ANY chemicals.
Especially if there is any risk whatsoever you might confuse caustic and washing soda, or glacial acetic acid with pickling vinegar ...

 

[Finman]

Especially if there is any risk whatsoever you might confuse caustic and washing soda, or glacial acetic acid with pickling vinegar ...

those who do not understand, what is the meaning of these chemicals, it is better stay far from them.

Have you ever heard that someone washes his combs with these stuffs?
Have you ever thinked, are these good for bees when they lick repair ruined combs?

Soda as cleaning stuff is effective because it solve fat and wax. That is why it kills microbia because it destroyes the lipids of cells. It solves the fat from skin and soaks deep into tissues.
In mouth and in gut it destroyes epithelia cells.

Soda as fat solvent destroyes the structure of wax. That is why it is good in cleaning of frame wood.
Try to you car how effective it is to destroy the surface of car. Not there but why into bee combs?

Ice acetic gasifies and it used to kill nosema spores and EFB, but nothing else.
It corrodes strongly the nails of frames.


But actully, what are you doing, I do not know.

When you have a hammer in your hand, all problems look like nails.

.

 

[masterBK]

Taking into account the cost of 80% acetic acid (ethanoic acid) and the risks of using it, it is cheaper to simply scrap contaminated comb and replace with foundation. Some associations including mine buy foundation in bulk with considerable cost savings to members. That said a bit of mould isn't a problem as bees will sort it out

 

[Ruary]

And with Ruary on the differences between 80% acetic and 10% chip vinegar. But dipping your fingers in the 80% would be a daft experiment - but you knew he didn't mean it dear reader, didn't you?

Of course I didn't mean anyone to try it, thats why I put in the 'eek'
Ruary

 

[Hivemaker.]

Taking into account the cost of 80% acetic acid (ethanoic acid) and the risks of using it, it is cheaper to simply scrap contaminated comb and replace with foundation.

I agree it is.