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Author Topic: How do I clean a used hive?  (Read 6035 times)

Offline high5acres

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How do I clean a used hive?
« on: November 17, 2012, 07:46:01 pm »
We recently acquired a hive that had been used for a couple years. Unfortunately the boxes were not well kept or cleaned. What's the best method to clean frames and other parts? Can I use bleach ?

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2012, 08:29:58 pm »
I'd burn 'em and build/buy new, why risk it. You could scorch it w/ torch to sterilize, but you are taking a chance of spreading disease to your new B's. You say the hives were not well kept so it is probably a safe assumption that the B's weren't either.
Cheers,
Drew

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2012, 08:42:05 pm »
We recently acquired a hive that had been used for a couple years. Unfortunately the boxes were not well kept or cleaned. What's the best method to clean frames and other parts? Can I use bleach ?


  Bleach will not kill AFB.


       BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline AllenF

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2012, 09:01:44 pm »
If you know where the hive came from and feel safe about it, just hose off the dust and throw a new coat of paint on the outside if needed. 


Offline Finski

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2012, 10:29:55 pm »

  Bleach will not kill AFB.


    

bleach kills everything.
It is used to boil old frames clean and clean poly boxes.

It is not good for wooden boxes.

Combs are valuable. If you want to make sure what they are, put a colony in and when settled take an example from honey and let the laboratory measure if they find AFB spores.

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Offline BlueBee

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2012, 03:02:54 am »
bleach kills everything.
It is used to boil old frames clean and clean poly boxes.
How often do you clean your poly boxes?

High5, if the previous owner didn't take care for their bees, I would imagine the frames are a mess?  Lots of drone cells? Coal black comb is a magnet for wax moths.  I might try to salvage the boxes (flame, bleach, I don't know :?) but I would probably toss the frames and buy new.  I like the plastic, it just makes my life much easier. 

Offline Finski

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2012, 07:06:39 am »
How often do you clean your poly boxes?


when needed.

After winter some hives have poo quite much. Hot lye solution loosens surfaces fast.

In mild cases some bathroom fat cleaner chemical works well too.

 In Afb cases sterilizing is needed.

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Offline high5acres

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2012, 10:30:37 am »
Thank you All for the advice. Yes the frames are a black mess, falling apart in areas. I've tried scrapping the blackish_orange mass (Im new to this so im guessing its old comb?) Off the frames but its really tough and the remnant seems like it would take at least a boil to really get clean. The boxes themselves aren't as bad so hopefully something of this"gift" will be useful.
Thank you!

Offline Maryland Beekeeper

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2012, 10:38:19 am »
Just so you understand, by using you put not only your B's, but every hive in your area @ risk of disease and could wipe out every colony in a 5 mile radius. If you wouldn't give your child a flu shot w/ a needle you found in the street and sterilized then don't use equipment of unknown history.
Cheers,
Drew

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2012, 11:05:18 am »

  Bleach will not kill AFB.
    

bleach kills everything.
It is used to boil old frames clean and clean poly boxes.

It is not good for wooden boxes.

Combs are valuable. If you want to make sure what they are, put a colony in and when settled take an example from honey and let the laboratory measure if they find AFB spores.

Finski..........

You can contact:  USDA Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory  and see what thier tell you ???
About bleach kill AFB on wood and wax.

Bee Research is located at:
10300 BALTIMORE AVENUE
BLDG. 476, RM. 100, BARC-EAST Beltsville, MD 20705  USA


http://www.ars.usda.gov/contactus/contactus.htm?modecode=12-45-33-00




                     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Finski

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2012, 11:24:34 am »
Finski..........

You can contact:  USDA Beltsville Bee Research Laboratory  and see what thier tell you ???
About bleach kill AFB on wood and wax.

                     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

i cannot see with my mobile what they say.

This is first time when somebody says that lye do not kill microbes.
Lye is widely used in boiling old frames clean and to be reused.

AFB stands high temperature 130C  but never hear that it can resist higly alkalic cleaning stuffs.


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Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2012, 12:04:29 pm »
We recently acquired a hive that had been used for a couple years. Unfortunately the boxes were not well kept or cleaned. What's the best method to clean frames and other parts? Can I use  bleach ?  
 
 
The original posts say  "Can I use bleach"



    BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 12:32:10 pm by Jim 134 »
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2012, 12:13:20 pm »

i cannot see with my mobile what they say.

This is first time when somebody says that lye do not kill microbes.
Lye is widely used in boiling old frames clean and to be reused.

AFB stands high temperature 130C  but never hear that it can resist higly alkalic cleaning stuffs.




On the Celsius scale, the freezing point of water is (0) and boiling point of water is (100) are precisly 100 degrees apart.

 How do I get the water to a 130C ???


         BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 12:33:37 pm by Jim 134 »
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Finski

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2012, 12:59:50 pm »
.
I cannot kill with water afb. In Australia they may boil hive parts in parafin.

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Offline rdy-b

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2012, 01:07:54 pm »
** How do I get the water to a 130C **

 use a pressure vessel-more pressure more heat

** I cannot kill with water afb. In Australia they may boil hive parts in paraffin.**

 Hot wax wont kill it ether it simply ENCAPSULATES it beekeepers in NEWZELAND have excused this
 method as unreliable
 :) RDY-B

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2012, 02:12:31 pm »
 Irradiation: Is an effective way of killing all of the spores without damaging your equipment, including frames with wax foundation.



        BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2012, 02:31:54 pm »
***This is first time when somebody says that lye do not kill microbes.
Lye is widely used in boiling old frames clean and to be reused.***



    Boiling Lay and water will not kill all of the AFB in the wood.



            BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline rdy-b

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2012, 03:40:13 pm »
Irradiation: Is an effective way of killing all of the spores without damaging your equipment, including frames with wax foundation.



        BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
this is spot on -any thing else is good intentions but wasted effort--RDY-B

Offline Finski

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2012, 04:58:37 pm »
Irradiation: Is an effective way of killing all of the spores without damaging your equipment, including frames with wax foundation.



        BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

yes but where is the nearest treatment plant?
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Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2012, 05:22:20 pm »
Irradiation: Is an effective way of killing all of the spores without damaging your equipment, including frames with wax foundation.



        BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

yes but where is the nearest treatment plant?

 For me about 100K  (60 Mi) one way and about $15.00 a box.

 http://www.isomedix.com/Gamma/Locations.html
 
I see Ontario, California has got one

rdy-b ....

I do not know if this is the only Co. in the USA that dose this or not ???
    

      BEE HAPPY Jim 134 )  
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 07:03:59 pm by Jim 134 »
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2012, 12:11:53 pm »
The problem with AFB is it's a spore producing bacteria.  That just means it has a shell that resists heat, chemicals, and so on.  Temperature should work if it is applied for a long enough time.  However, I have not found, in three years of searching, any good science to address it.

Most of the stuff I've heard are worried statements by beekeepers.  Think "Swine Flu."  It will last for 50 years, it survives nuclear holocaust, it will do "home invasion," and kill your cat as an example.

As an example, I was taught to "hard boil" water for 20 minutes to destroy the spores, organisms, and pathogens.  I would also recommend boiling the water for 20 minutes because then you know the temperature of the water.  It has been proven human pathogens and the spores die when held at 165°F (74°C) for 20 or more minutes.  You may have to heat the spores to 130°C (266°F) to kill the disease, but that seems like it's just brought to that temperature.

If I ever get a straight answer to that single question, I'll let everyone know.
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.

Offline Jim134

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2012, 12:36:47 pm »
The problem with AFB is it's a spore producing bacteria.  That just means it has a shell that resists heat, chemicals, and so on.  Temperature should work if it is applied for a long enough time.  However, I have not found, in three years of searching, any good science to address it.

Most of the stuff I've heard are worried statements by beekeepers.  Think "Swine Flu."  It will last for 50 years, it survives nuclear holocaust, it will do "home invasion," and kill your cat as an example.

As an example, I was taught to "hard boil" water for 20 minutes to destroy the spores, organisms, and pathogens.  I would also recommend boiling the water for 20 minutes because then you know the temperature of the water.  It has been proven human pathogens and the spores die when held at 165°F (74°C) for 20 or more minutes.  You may have to heat the spores to 130°C (266°F) to kill the disease, but that seems like it's just brought to that temperature.

If I ever get a straight answer to that single question, I'll let everyone know.

1 The USDA tells me "hard boil"  (I ask about wood) for 4 Hr. will not destroy all the AFB spores, organisms, and pathogens.


2. The USDA tells me heat to 350F to kill AFB for 30 or more minutes (the wood will be on fire)


           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)


« Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 12:56:40 pm by Jim 134 »
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: How do I clean a used hive?
« Reply #22 on: November 24, 2012, 12:38:10 am »
Alright!

It makes you wonder what the point of stacking boxes, stuffing with newspaper, and scorching the inside is...

Thank you Jim!
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.