Poly hives Good Hygiene

[snoop]

I know they recommend sterlising timber hive with a blow torch etc what is the recomendation for poly hives

I have a few poly nucs witha lot of propolis etc inside them

 

[Finman]

.
Hot lyewater 3%. Hot loosens the wax and resin and lye makes them soap.

Then spray it with clean water. If surface feels slippy between fingers, neutralize it with vinegar spray.

If lye goes onto skin, neutralize with vinegar.

 

[Poly Hive]

I scrub them with Virkons. Available from farm suppliers.

http://www2.dupont.com/DAHS_EMEA/en_GB/products/disinfectants/virkon_s/index.html

PH

 

[Norton]

Hello,
They clean up nicely when immersed in a solution of domestos and water (1:7). Removes all traces of hive staining etc.
Best regards
Norton

 

[RoofTops]

Warm washing soda is safe and gentle but it is slow if you have a lot to do. Bleach is recommended for sterilisation afterwards but as Finman says if you want to do a quick and thorough job then nothing beats cautic soda (lye). Just make sure to wear decent protective equipment, idealy covering the whole face.

Virkon will kill everything except AFB spores, which are unlikely to be there but if you are worried then strong bleach or the caustic soda treatment will work.

Gentle use of a steam cleaner also cleans well but a nuc is likely to go flying unless you put a few bricks on it.

A plasters bath is best but the large round buckets are also good, if big enough, and are a lot cheaper. http://www.tradecounterdirect.com/plastering-tools/mixing-tub-bucket/1/

 

[Finman]

.
Question was, how to get off propolis

 

[Finman]

.
Killit Bang for bathrooms is a good fat remover for small need.
Lidl sells it.

 

[Norton]

cillit bang

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I think I prefer the Finman's spelling!

 

[RoofTops]

Fera have a newish guide on sterilising hives. It's the 6th one down on the list at the top of this link, Hive Cleaning and Sterilisation: https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=167

It does not cover caustic soda (lye) which is a pity but it gives advice on sterilisation of polystyrene hives using a strong bleach solution.

 

[oliver90owner]

I am wondering...do polyhives, which have not been glued together, come apart easily without breakage for cleaning and sterilising? It would be a lot less 'volume' to deal with.

Regards, RAB

 

[RoofTops]

Afternote to my earlier post. Caustic soda is mentioned but not really in the context of poly hives.

And yes to RAB but it would also add to the effort. I find it easier just to jump on the brood boxes in the bucket and wrestle with them like Tarzan used to wrestle stuffed crocodiles in the old films. You win in the end as they can't fight back.

 

[BobH1]

It does not cover caustic soda (lye) which is a pity but it gives advice on sterilisation of polystyrene hives using a strong bleach solution.

RoofTops pre-empted my comment

 

[Finman]

I am wondering...do polyhives, which have not been glued together, come apart easily without breakage for cleaning and sterilising? It would be a lot less 'volume' to deal with.

Regards, RAB

That is bad idea to apart them.

 

[Finman]

Virkon will kill everything except AFB spores,

which are unlikely to be there but if you are worried then strong bleach or the caustic soda treatment will work.

Virkon kills AFB spores. It has been researched.

What is strong bleach? 3% is enough because it is enough to clean used frames.

What a mesh again to get off propolis from plastic....

 

[Poly Hive]

I am in discussions with DuPont re Virkon and AFB.

More to come.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ahhhh fingers crossed then, as I "liberated" quite a bit from work when I retired

 

[Finman]

,
In Sweden Stocholm University it has been researched couple years ago that Virkon kills ABF spores when new white combs have handled with virkon.

If combs have larvasilk, it may have AFB scales too.

AFB spores are mostly in the last summer's honey which are in combs.

Virkon acts in a way like hydrogen peroxide

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