# How to sterilize beehive components



## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

you can scorch it with a flame thrower - cutting torch - ETC


----------



## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

Frames-soak in lye (then water 3x)
Boxes-scorch 

Honestly, if you value your time it might not be worth the effort.


----------



## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

If Nosema was part of the problem, 2 hours of UV light (sunlight) will kill 90% of the spores. This was per a university study that I can't find right now. Varroa dies with the bees. Scorching is to kill AFB, but you probably did not have it.


----------



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

sakhoney said:


> you can scorch it with a flame thrower - cutting torch - ETC


:lpf:


----------



## Jlockhart29 (Apr 29, 2016)

sakhoney said:


> you can scorch it with a flame thrower - cutting torch - ETC


I know not to just hold it to it till it burns but will.the slight char not cause bees to reject it?


----------



## Slow Drone (Apr 19, 2014)

Jlockhart29 said:


> I know not to just hold it to it till it burns but will.the slight char not cause bees to reject it?


The bees won't reject it they'll be fine with it. I use a torch on mine and never have had the bees reject it and I've scorched some pretty good a few times and not had a problem.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

If there was no disease then no need to sterilize. Put new bees in it next year.


----------



## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Uv is the most mine get. 90% of the time when a hive fails it s because of mites, SHB,or queen problems. The only real headache is SHB.


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

I looked at your other threads, does not appear to be any diseases. Your brood pattern looked nice when you had brood. One frame has one or more hatched q cells. 

Your hive got crowded and swarmed, the new queen failed to mate (20% of the time). there is no sterilize needed.

Freeze your comb to kill pests and eggs, store it in the freezer or in a dry pest free area.


----------



## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

There is only one way to sterilize wood radiation. This will also work on wax comb.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134


----------



## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Let's be sensible here before we torch and nuke this guy's equipment. 
I'm suggesting that you take some samples from the hive that died and send them to Batesville, Maryland USA. 
They have a lab set up to find out what happened and it's free. They email you the results.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472


----------



## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

I was going to suggest the Maryland Bee Lab.
but aunt betty said it...


----------



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

aunt betty said:


> Let's be sensible here before we torch and nuke this guy's equipment.
> I'm suggesting that you take some samples from the hive that died and send them to Batesville, Maryland USA.
> They have a lab set up to find out what happened and it's free. They email you the results.
> https://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472


 I was going to suggest the same thing. I am glad to see there are still some who take a logical approach rather than jumping to conclusions. And offer advice based on those conclusions.


----------



## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

So they can send samples to a lab. OR they can simply torch the hive just in case. if there was in fact no disease. what harm was caused by torching it? What I am questioning is the need to know with any greater certainty. If I where concerned and only concerned and torching the hive would fix the problem I am concerned with with certainty. then I would simply torch and move on.


----------



## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

It's a pity you threw out your wax and honey without knowing what the trouble is. A whole summer's production gone. Oh well... spilt milk.
Next time you'll know the Beltsville lab is free and fast, and you can freeze the stuff until you get your results.


----------



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

aunt betty said:


> Let's be sensible here before we torch and nuke this guy's equipment.
> I'm suggesting that you take some samples from the hive that died and send them to Batesville, Maryland USA.
> They have a lab set up to find out what happened and it's free. They email you the results.
> https://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472


There is nothing to send for a sample, a few old dead bees on the ground or feeder won't give a reliable test.

"Not sure what happened but they made queen cells of which 2 hatched and 6 more on different frames died/killed in the cell."

"Hive went queenless but still full of bees"

"any time you walked by there would be 6 to 20 bees around the hive on the ground, wings at 45 degree angle when not trying in vane to fly."

The question is which killed this hive first queenlessness or mites?

What's "Beltsville" going to tell him without a sample?


----------



## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

FlowerPlanter said:


> I looked at your other threads, does not appear to be any diseases. Your brood pattern looked nice when you had brood. One frame has one or more hatched q cells.
> 
> Your hive got crowded and swarmed, the new queen failed to mate (20% of the time). there is no sterilize needed.
> 
> Freeze your comb to kill pests and eggs, store it in the freezer or in a dry pest free area.



I agree


----------



## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

sqkcrk said:


> If there was no disease then no need to sterilize. Put new bees in it next year.


1. Unless you have a confirmed case of AFB there's no need to sterilize. 2. These are bees, they'll do just fine in used gear.


----------



## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

> There is only one way to sterilize wood radiation


Or a 300 degree wax dipping vat


----------



## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

FlowerPlanter said:


> There is nothing to send for a sample, a few old dead bees on the ground or feeder won't give a reliable test.
> 
> "Not sure what happened but they made queen cells of which 2 hatched and 6 more on different frames died/killed in the cell."
> 
> ...


"about 50 bees left in the top feeder. " He never said these bees were dead Just said "left" from the framing of the text it sounds as though the hive is dead with 50 live left in the top feeder. Bet there were more than 50 on the bottom board. and the live 50 would be great samples once placed in alcohol!


----------



## Jlockhart29 (Apr 29, 2016)

First off I want to thank you all for the advice and time taken to reply to this. I went out to what was left of the bees this morning to collect a sample to send off and there were about 15 bees total left in the feeder tunnel. When I shook them only 2 could fly the others hit the ground like the rest had. Sooooo sending a sample is a non issue HOWEVER I am very great full to know about this service!! I called my local county extension about a week ago and they were them selfs useless but gave me a contact to an old time keeper local who I called. Super nice fellow and basically over the phone said the same as y'all that the hive had swarmed possibly several times and failed to requeen. Completely understand and agree the only problem was I did not understand and still do not all of the flightless bees. Perhaps the younger better condition bees hit it off with the Queens and only left the old weaker ones? Pesticides and poison also ran through my mind as the 45 degree angle of the Wings suggest a neurological problem possibly but then poison on that large-scale should have wiped the whole Colony out in a matter of hours to my thinking. After I lost the hive my main objective was to not have a repeat due to some contamination be it organic or inorganic. I build my own hives, Warre hive circumference of 12 x 12 ceder but deep Lang depth so a standard deep will fit by just trimming the top bar and bottom. This takes work but I enjoy it....to a point but I don't want to toss'em!lol So I still have wax cell structure imprints on my frames pluse the "smell" of lived in boxes. Unless someone convinces me otherwise I'm inclined to leave them out in the sun for a couple weeks and call it good. Sound like a plan?


----------



## Jlockhart29 (Apr 29, 2016)

Tenbears said:


> "about 50 bees left in the top feeder. " He never said these bees were dead Just said "left" from the framing of the text it sounds as though the hive is dead with 50 live left in the top feeder. Bet there were more than 50 on the bottom board. and the live 50 would be great samples once placed in alcohol!


There were about 50 live bees in the feeder tunnel but only a couple dead ones on the bottom screen yesterday. About 15 today and same couple dead on the screen today.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

aunt betty said:


> Let's be sensible here before we torch and nuke this guy's equipment.
> I'm suggesting that you take some samples from the hive that died and send them to Batesville, Maryland USA.
> They have a lab set up to find out what happened and it's free. They email you the results.
> https://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=7472


Beltsville.

Sure, go ahead. What are you going to ask them to verify for you? They won't be able to tell you why your bees died. Unless they find AFB spores. If he sends a chunk of comb, what are the folks at Beltsville supposed to look for and report on, aunt betty?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Tenbears said:


> I was going to suggest the same thing. I am glad to see there are still some who take a logical approach rather than jumping to conclusions. And offer advice based on those conclusions.


Do you mean conclusions like, if there is no sign of disease then go ahead and put bees on it again? Because so far I haven't read anything which would lead me to believe that there is any sign of disease. Have you?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Daniel Y said:


> So they can send samples to a lab. OR they can simply torch the hive just in case. if there was in fact no disease. what harm was caused by torching it? What I am questioning is the need to know with any greater certainty. If I where concerned and only concerned and torching the hive would fix the problem I am concerned with with certainty. then I would simply torch and move on.


Another over reaction. No sign of or indication of AFB, so why burn the combs? What a waste that would be.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Hops Brewster said:


> Next time you'll know the Beltsville lab is free and fast, and you can freeze the stuff until you get your results.


I have sent plenty of samples of diseased material to Beltsville for Lab Confirmation of a Field Diagnosis. I would not characterize their test results reporting as "fast". And unnecessary sample testing like that being suggested here slows things down even more.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Tenbears said:


> "about 50 bees left in the top feeder. " He never said these bees were dead Just said "left" from the framing of the text it sounds as though the hive is dead with 50 live left in the top feeder. Bet there were more than 50 on the bottom board. and the live 50 would be great samples once placed in alcohol!


And what do you think he should ask Beltsville to tell him based on those 50 bees? If they do an expensive Virus test and find one or more viruses, what should he do? We don't have any antiviral treatments. If there are Nosema found, what should he do? The colony is already dead. So there are no live bees to treat anymore. And nothing contagious left on the equipment that a swarm or package can't handle.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Jlockhart29 said:


> Sound like a plan?


Yup, it does. Better luck next year.


----------



## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

Not to ruffle any feathers here but his OP was asking how to sterilize his equipment - not what happened to his bees.
Just saying


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Okay. Then the answer is, if by equipment one means wooden ware and comb, then you can't, short of Gamma ray irradiation.

When someone asks a question like that I want to know why they want to know. Because they may not need to sterilize their equipment to use it again.


----------



## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

Reading this whole thread has a question popping in my head. Can you just imagine the various things Beltsville, MD. gets sent from over-anxious beekeepers?


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

And it may not cost the individual anything, but it isn't exactly free. Someone, taxpayers, have to pay for all of the costs.


----------



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I've scorched the insides of some nucs with an Oxy/Acetylene torch to kill wax moth eggs. I'm sure it kills any micro organisms that the flame hits as well. Do something simple.

Regarding sending the bees to the lab. Given your circumstances, I doubt more than one out of 100 beekeepers would do that.


----------



## GoodyFarms (Jul 10, 2016)

sqkcrk said:


> Okay. Then the answer is, if by equipment one means wooden ware and comb, then you can't, short of Gamma ray irradiation.


As sakhoney posted, the OP was how to sterilize the hive. Torching the boxes and lye soaking the frames will kill off any bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The OP said they had already removed the comb, so that's not an issue.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Okay, thanks. Does it matter that sterilizing is not necessary? Or are we supposed to only answer the question asked? I'm not up on what is expected, yet.


----------



## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

sakhoney said:


> Or a 300 degree wax dipping vat


This will not kill AFB. All I do is possibly encapsulated.




BEE HAPPY Jim 134


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

And wax is hardly sterile. Get a sample analysed for chemical residue and you will see that there are all sorts of miticides in beeswax. But maybe you meant paraffin wax.


----------



## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

I still see this some people don't believe me but that is ok. Now I have heard of one of the way to do it I do not know if this works or not. And of course you would have to conduct lab tests on the material Going In as well As coming out. They tell me ozone generators will do this. They do need to be left in there for a certain amount of time you would have to look all that up. And like I said I don't know if this is laboratory proven or not. Why describes a person told me this will kill AFB. On both wax and wood. The thing about radiation is known to break down other chemical products that the bees may have got into.



BEE HAPPY Jim 134


----------



## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

Jim - see this link - 
SQK - yes paraffin wax 


http://www.google.com.ar/url?sa=t&r...1).pdf&usg=AFQjCNFmADDUygTEmR0NbZY_Dh3j1juNsA

http://www.beesource.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-194960.html


----------



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> And wax is hardly sterile. Get a sample analysed for chemical residue and you will see that there are all sorts of miticides in beeswax.


"Sterile" is not the same thing as _pure_. Sterile implies that there are no living organisms in the substance (wax, in this case).


> ster·ile
> free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean.
> "a sterile needle and syringes"
> synonyms:	aseptic, sterilized, germ-free, antiseptic, disinfected;


Wax that has been irradiated would be sterile, but may still not be pure wax as it may still contain foreign substances such as dirt, the remains of miticides, or even bee parts. But those parts would be _dead_ and _sterile_.


----------



## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

sakhoney said:


> Jim - see this link -
> SQK - yes paraffin wax
> 
> 
> ...


I was in a seminar last year . This very question came up about dipping in hot wax or paraffin Jeff Pettis of the USDA bee lab said that wouldn't work. I'll take his word for it. Like I said I hope you the best in all your Adventures of beekeeping.


BEE HAPPY Jim 134


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Jim 134 said:


> I still see this some people don't believe me but that is ok. BEE HAPPY Jim 134


What I was going to Post.


----------

