# how too sanitize your bee hive



## MOJ "The Bee Whisperer" (Aug 25, 2008)

was looking for information on useing lye to clean and sanitize bee hives. have never tryed this be for and would like to see if any one has dipped there frames and or hive boxes this way. was talking to a beekeeper that told of this and do not remember all:s ...... should have put pen to paper:doh:......so looking for information on sanitizing bee hives...trying to save some cash. use to just get more hives and frames....trying to be more eco friendly.:thumbsup:

Thanks


MOJ the BEE Whisperer
A BEE Friendly Company


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Get your hands on a copy of "The How-to-do-it book of beekeeping" by Richard Taylor....he really liked using lye to clean.


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## MOJ "The Bee Whisperer" (Aug 25, 2008)

*cleaning*

I will. have you or do you sanitize your hives? do you just pressor wash them with S.T.P.? looking for any ideas


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Why do you want to sanitize you woodenware?? Did you find AFB??


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## purvisgs (Apr 5, 2008)

I have boiled frames in lye. It is a lot of work.


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## MOJ "The Bee Whisperer" (Aug 25, 2008)

*Thanks*

No AFB. one hive had mold in it like wax moth .... the rest of the hives did not have enuff food for the winter and did not make it. my poor girls.. got warm out for two weeks and then snowed for 3 weeks.....the queens layed and the food was gone.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

purvisgs said:


> I have boiled frames in lye. It is a lot of work.


And you end of with used loose frames that need a lot more work on them than nailing together new ones.


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

I have used a very strong bleach solution to dip molded wooden ware. It cleaned up nicely in short order and the bleach breaks down in a few days after being exposed to light.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

MOJ "The Bee Whisperer" said:


> No AFB. one hive had mold in it like wax moth .... the rest of the hives did not have enuff food for the winter and did not make it. my poor girls.. got warm out for two weeks and then snowed for 3 weeks.....the queens layed and the food was gone.


Put more bees in them. They will clean them to their satisfaction. Propolis is an antiseptic and a glue. I really don't think you need to do what you are asking about.


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## MOJ "The Bee Whisperer" (Aug 25, 2008)

*thanks*

will try to put a swarm in and see what happons. I have 5 hives i use just to make swarms. i will swarm one out and see what happons


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I've got swarms that flew into old boxes of dark comb with webs and mold of many colors but mostly the black mold and yeast and with wax moth larva some old honey and pollen. The swarms flew in and went right to work and within three days everything was pretty well cleaned up. I'm in the middle of blackberry flow at the moment and they are really going to town!


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