Can I use diluted bleach to sterilise old comb?

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Just cleaned up some super frames that had crystallised osr in but I want to sterilise them as best I can before returning them to the hive. They have been sat in the shed all winter so could have had anything crawling over them

Any advice appreciated

 

[Dishmop]

Hi guys,

Just cleaned up some super frames that had crystallised osr in but I want to sterilise them as best I can before returning them to the hive. They have been sat in the shed all winter so could have had anything crawling over them

Any advice appreciated

Stop being tight and buy some new stuff...

 

[oliver90owner]

Whatever you do, the bees will clean them before use.

Normal comb sterilising is fumigation with 80 percent ethanoic for a few days, followed by airing before use.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stop being tight and buy some new stuff...

Feeling a little better Chris?

 

[mbc]

Whatever you do, the bees will clean them before use.

Normal comb sterilising is fumigation with 80 percent ethanoic for a few days, followed by airing before use.

you mean "acetic" mun..

I believe the bees are much cleaner than us at a microscopic level so I'm not sure what you're trying to clean with bleach anyway.

 

[Finman]

Normal comb sterilising is fumigation with 80 percent ethanoic for a few days, followed by airing before use.

Never Heard about that.

If you do not have diseases, you need not sterilizing.
If you have diseases, they are allready in the hive.

Virkon S is such which is used TO sterilize Combs.
Moldy Combs bees handle themselves, and If needed they tear down bad Combs.

Lye disolves fat and wax and breaks the Combs.

 

[Finman]

you mean "acetic" mun..

.

Yes, ICE acetic against nosema and EFB.
Alcohold breaks down wax like lye.

 

[Eyeman]

Dismantle top bar and one bottom bar from frames and put in black bin bag then put bag in greehouse or warm area then put glacial acetic acid on a platic tray in bottom of bag on floor and tie a knot in bag. Leave for 2-5 days depending on the temperature.
Alec

 

[drstitson]

Rab is right - Ethanoic acid IS the correct systematic name for CH3COOH i.e. what joe public calls Acetic acid.

as per others - old comb is fine after storage.

what are you worried about precisely? remember bees will happily source water from unsavoury sources (e.g. wet manure) - you can't do anything about that.

 

[oliver90owner]

Never Heard about that.

They say you learn something new every day.

Read the word 'normal' carefully.

80% ethanoic is the norm (been renamed from acetic for many a year, now). 'Glacial acetic acid' should not be used for couple of very good reasons, of which you would understand if you were knowledgeable on the subject. Having been a chemist does help.

Far more dangerous than the diluted form.
NBG if carried out below around 17 degrees. (I did note the qualification on that one, but 'warm' can be subjective).

 

[Finman]

Never Heard about that.




80% ethanoic is the norm (been renamed from acetic for many a year, now). 'Glacial acetic acid' should not be used for couple of very good reasons, of which you would understand if you were knowledgeable on the subject. Having been a chemist does help.

ive).

Learning Every day from beekeeping forum ...
And new Friends every morning....sounds badly like rippen dementia.

I could imagine that Ice Age is now Ethanoic Age

 

[thenovice]

Rab is right - Ethanoic acid IS the correct systematic name for CH3COOH i.e. what joe public calls Acetic acid.

as per others - old comb is fine after storage.

what are you worried about precisely? remember bees will happily source water from unsavoury sources (e.g. wet manure) - you can't do anything about that.

nope, joe public calls it vinegar

 

[oliver90owner]

nope, joe public calls it vinegar

Hope not - well not at those concentrations!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

nope, joe public calls it vinegar

Hope not - well not at those concentrations!

That would really p!ss on your chips

 

[Eyeman]

Glacial is on the bottle and it is 80%.
Purists may like to reserve the term glacial for something a bit stronger,

 

[jd101k2000]

Much as I hate to agree with RAB, he is dead right on this one. Back when I was learning chemistry over thirty years ago the name had been changed! (And when I started school we paid for the meals in real money, not decimal. Yes, they used to serve wholesome food in schools!)

Was recently reading a paper about MAQS - there they kept swapping between formic acid and methanoic acid. We should be using the systematic names by now.

 

[oliver90owner]

Glacial is on the bottle

It may well be, but only 100% ethanoic is 'glacial' - it freezes, from the word glacier frozen and slow moving.

Only 100% glacial will freeze at sensible temperatures 80% won't freeze until probably -40 degrees.

I would expect the labelling is either misleading or it was glacial before diluting with 20% water. People often read things into descriptions that are not actually there.

 

[Eyeman]

well that's cleared that up.
Thanks
Alec

 

[drstitson]

"Much as I hate to agree with RAB, he is dead right on this one."

Although of course, further to my previous post, despite Ethanoic being the correct systematic name, Acetic is the preferred IUPAC name.

 

[beesleybees]

They are new frames from last year, nothing wrong with them other then they we're in my shed over the winter and I found mouse droppings in there so just want to sterilise before I give them back to the hive