Chlorine for sterilising equipment

[Norton]

Some beekeepers use chlorine to sterilise equipment. Can anyone provide a link to an official site about the use of chlorine for beekeeping equipment.

Best regards
Norton.

 

[BBG]

Here's Fera advice

Trouble is, farm-sized hypochlorite, which is no doubt the appeal loses its 'newness' after being opened.

Virkon S is now recommended but more expensive of course.

We us hypochlorite to boot wash between apiaries, partly because of hygiene between sites and partly because we have one eye on Foot & Mouth .

Our Scottish colleagues, always in advance of most, gave out advice in 2009, which if viewed with the Beebase chart, would seem to have had a contributory effect to the reduction of European Foulbrood.

If we can persuade some parts of the country to start washing, disease instances may drop. Bring back Lifebuoy soap!

Also ring the manufacturers, they're delighted to get a phone call and very helpful too.

 

[dclewis]

I think you mean bleach rather than chlorine. I think that the liquid form of bleach rather than the gaseous form of chlorine makes it more practical to use and its cheap availability also aids.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Virkon S is very effective against non-spore forming microbes
such as EFB bacteria and viruses. It is not, however, recommended for AFB –
use a hypochlorite based cleaner i.e. bleach.

 

[BBG]

Hmmm, should have pointed that out

 

[scuttlefish]

Is it effective for sterilising old frames for re-use as well - ordinary household bleach w/chlorine? Any idea what parts I can dilute it to & still be effective?

 

[Norton]

The product I use is called Chori-Bell-Bleach from Lidl (without mercury), our vets department told us NOT to use chlorine (all bleach is called chlorine here)/bleach to sterilise equipment as it leaves residues that would turn up in the honey. The head of the vets department said the use of bleach in any food producing operations is strictly forbidden. Yet FERA say use it.

Another case of dis-harmonisation in the EU?

 

[E1M]

We use SODA CRYSTALS for cleaning our gloves and the hive tool goes in the dishwasher.
Not sure if this answers your question.
Chlorine seems harsh.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The head of the vets department said the use of bleach in any food producing operations is strictly forbidden. Yet FERA say use it.

And some even add it to the autumn syrupm feed. We used just over ten gallons of it to sterilise some boxes a couple of weeks ago.

 

[user 6228]

The product I use is called Chori-Bell-Bleach from Lidl (without mercury), our vets department told us NOT to use chlorine (all bleach is called chlorine here)/bleach to sterilise equipment as it leaves residues that would turn up in the honey. The head of the vets department said the use of bleach in any food producing operations is strictly forbidden. Yet FERA say use it.

Another case of dis-harmonisation in the EU?

Another case of mis-information...

You can get approved dairy cleansers and disinfectant which contains you guessed it ...... sodium hypochlorite... (e.g. Deosan Red label hypochlorite)

Mercury in bleach .... well the mercury based process for producing chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide(precursors to Sodioum hypochlorite), Castner-Kellner process, is being phased out worldwide. However, the problem was never the mercury being in the product (chlorine gas sodium hydroxide) but in the effluent from the plant.

Soduim Hypochlorite is very reactive and decomposes to eventually relatively harmless salt and water after killing livings around it.

As regards being harmful in the low concentration left in honey... remember people actually swim in dilute solutions of this chemical every day Amazing!