Cleaning and Sterilizing Brood Frames

[Peadarg]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year fellow beekeepers.

Over the course of the following few days I am hoping to clean and sterilize about 20 brood frames. I have removed the wax from these frames so all I am left with is the timber frames.
What I propose in using is Sodium hypochlorite which is found in domestos bleach. The concentration is 4.5g sodium hypochlorite per 100g. My method would be, Submerge the frames in bleach and scrub them with a wire brush. Once that is done, rinse the frames with tap water and leave to dry. do you think this would work and dose this, both clean and sterilize the frames? I am open to any suggestions. thanks in advance and I hope you are enjoying the Christmas.
peter

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they are from your own colonies and there is no disease then don't do anything but scrape them clean.
If they are somebody else's burn them

 

[PeaBee]

If you want to clean them then a hot solution of washing soda will work much better than cold bleach I think. Dunk in slosh around until wax and gunk is off and a quick rinse with a pressure washer works well. But seems a lot of effort for 20 frames. As above if they are going back on the colonies they came from do they need a clean.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If they really need sterilising, a nice flame will do the trick, keep them for your next garden bonfire

 

[Jules59]

I sterilise super frames in boiling washing soda and bleach dip. But I wouldnt bother with brood frames - just not worth the effort or risk. They don't clean up welI compared to super frames and I also discovered that you don't get a lot of useable wax from them either - so now I burn the lot; frames & wax.

 

[ericbeaumont]

open to any suggestions

Have a look at the NBU Beebase index, PD. About half way down you'll find PB's hot washing soda: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Hive_Cleaning_and_Sterilisation%20(9).pdf.

 

[Swn58]

I use soda crystals for all manner of bee related cleaning. I also run a blowtorch over frames, but don't find that it works so well, when I have tried to do that on my poly hive parts though.........

 

[Peadarg]

Thank you all very much for your feedback. Happy new year and I hope you are looking forward to the new season.

 

[polymath]

I sterilise super frames in boiling washing soda and bleach dip. But I wouldnt bother with brood frames - just not worth the effort or risk. They don't clean up welI compared to super frames and I also discovered that you don't get a lot of useable wax from them either - so now I burn the lot; frames & wax.

do not mix soda and bleach, an SBI told me it turns to some nice gas and all the good chemical (bad stuff that does cleaning) goes up in the gas. You must first do Soda and then bleach. Personally i boil frames in soda crystal water, but please do not mix in bleach.

 

[Arfermo]

Got a a very old umpteen gallon 'Freegled' Burco wash-boiler many years ago, so I boil a load up from time to time with washing soda after removing the foundation retaining strip and then hose them all off after. Like new. Now worried about Burco boiler rustlers. EEK!!

 

[ericbeaumont]

rinse the frames with tap water

If the first washed frames dry with a white deposit, soak the lot briefly after washing in a tub of water + vinegar to neutralise the excess soda.

A few days hanging in rain should also do the trick.

 

[Curly green finger's]

What do folk do with there washings I'm just about to use an old tin bath over a fire to soak frames in I'm wondering what to do with the grey water afterwards, oh I'll be using soda crystals, I do have a burka but I want to do it with quite a few brood frames that have been stripped of wax.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I do have a burka but I want to do it with quite a few brood frames that have been stripped of wax.

Are you washing your Burka as well?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Are you washing your Burka as well?

On this occasion no for the time frame it would be easier to do them in the tin bath thoughts? With the washings?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

don't wash your Burka with light coloured clothing as the black dye will run and turn everything grey

 

[Erichalfbee]

don't wash your Burka with light coloured clothing as the black dye will run and turn everything grey

I thought they were blue?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I thought they were blue?

Like passports?

 

[dano41]

Like passports?

Do many still boil frames in caustic soda?Has anyone read a paper on this which talks about the concentration and time of immersion not the beebase pamphlet.I know Finman still uses caustic soda and says it is still effective even below boiling point.In this they claim that caustic 5% at 80c kill Afb.
https://ec.europa.eu/food/system/files/2016-10/la_bees_research_manual_bee_keepers_en.pdf

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do many still boil frames in caustic soda?Has anyone read a paper on this which talks about the concentration and time of immersion not the beebase pamphlet.I know Finman still uses caustic soda and says it is still effective even below boiling point.In this they claim that caustic 5% at 80c kill Afb.
https://ec.europa.eu/food/system/files/2016-10/la_bees_research_manual_bee_keepers_en.pdf

re you sure you're not confusing caustic soda with washing soda?
only an ***** would boil caustic soda

 

[Erichalfbee]

Surely if you’re worried about AFB you’d burn them?