Thymol for cleaning

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jezd

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I know that thymol placed in syrup helps to keep the mold off (being am anti-fungicide), but can it be used in a larger scale for cleaning mold off feeding buckets/wax frames? if soaked will the thymol kill mold growth?

JD
 
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The fumes from it would be dreadful for the person wielding the scrubbing brush :puke:

Mould will only grow if it has something to feed on, so it grows nicely on the side of a feeder as the volume of liquid feed goes down, but a good wash in hot soapy water will remove it, bleach added is helpful. Mould will penetrate wood and show despite cleaning as a black mark, never to be removed.

The best cure for mould is to keep things clean so it never has a chance to take hold...............easily said, but I can assure you I'm not perfect, I'm a quick learner though and my feeders went away cleaned as soon as finished with this last season and all wet supers went to the bees to be cleaned. A small amount on supers will be cleaned off by the bees, but I don't know if it is recommended practice.

Frisbee
 
If you have a pair of Marigolds that you used during Apiguard treatments (from a big bucket). then you will know just how pervasive and long lasting the smell of thymol can be.

Similarly you don't want to taint any honey which might have a detrimental affect on your honey sales.
 
If you have a pair of Marigolds that you used during Apiguard treatments (from a big bucket). then you will know just how pervasive and long lasting the smell of thymol can be.

Similarly you don't want to taint any honey which might have a detrimental affect on your honey sales.

Similarly I have some electronic scales with a clear plastic lid that doubles as a tray! after weighing thymol crystals in said tray ,I found they had etched the surface of the plastic (in seconds) , it still stinks of thymol ,months later !
Lesson learned, I'll fold a paper envelope for use as a barrier 'twixt tray and thymol in future :).

John Wilkinson
 

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