# Using a UV light to clean up combs



## beesquad15 (Nov 5, 2014)

Hey all
I just recently had several hives die and come down with what looks parasitic-mite-syndrome but might be EFB. I would like to reuse the combs whet i don't want to spread any thing! So i had the idea of using a high intensity uv light to maybe kill any bacteria or EFB (If its there) to make the combs reusable. Would this work or should i not risk it and just melt down the infected brood combs?? I am a hobbyist beekeeper and i would like to save the combs if I can!


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

UV does kill EFB and other diseases, as to the dose, duration and the watts needs I do not know. The sun is a powerfull UV light bulb, it takes 21-31 hours of direct sun to kill EFB. Pollen and dead brood may block UV rays. 

G.F. White 1920 performed many lab tests on EFB.

You can also see this thread "EFB Cleanup"; 

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?327048-EFB-cleanup


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Importance of a lab test (fresher is better);

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=7472


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

This is a good thread!


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## heaflaw (Feb 26, 2007)

2 hours of UV light kills 90% of nosema spores.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

Next thing you know, someone will invent glass hives to come out with the next natural miracle invention for beekeeping to save the world...


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm told chlorine bleach kills almost everything. I can understand some reluctance to use harsh chemicals.

But I'm wondering if anyone here has used oxalic acid wood bleach as a disinfectant for hive bodies? Would it be effective? For those of us using OA to kill mites, I would think a little residue of this in our hives would be no worse than OA vapor or drizzle.

Our state used to maintain a radiation facility, gamma rays I think, which was available for sterilizing hive bodies. It was expensive and underused so they eliminated it.


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## pinkpantherbeekeeper (Feb 10, 2016)

That'd be awesome to irradiate hive bodies! You clean up lots of bodies very quickly.


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## DavidZ (Apr 9, 2016)

irradiation doesn't work, I know I go to peru 2-3 times a year ie South America, and I bring back live plants and seeds all the time they get irradiated in customs and about 1/4th of the materials die. 
Now how much of the die off is due to expiration...idk but I do know irradiation is a myth and does not work to kill off everything.
I get challenged all the time by customs, they know me and my work with medicinal and poisonous plants. no I don't use permits.


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## Titus_TN (Jun 13, 2016)

The Australians have a good discussion of sterilization, although they're talking about AFB, which is a hardier beast: http://www.aucklandbeekeepersclub.org.nz/UFresource/Sterilising_infected_equipment_(1).pdf

It appears irradiation will work, but I would hesitate to just say, "eh, the sun gives off UV" and call it done after leaving your hive tools next to the peonies for a few days.

Edit: I should add, my comment about irradiation working is based on the Aussie protocol. I wasn't meaning to disagree with David's observation, which wasn't up when I started typing.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

>I'm told chlorine bleach kills almost everything. I can understand some reluctance to use harsh chemicals.

Bleach is also listed in the "EFB cleanup" thread; IMO bleach bath will kill everything including AFB spores that come in direct contact. Then air dry and all the bleach will evaporate away leaving no residue. Bleach is cheap and readily available. 

>But I'm wondering if anyone here has used oxalic acid wood bleach as a disinfectant for hive bodies? Would it be effective?

Many have used OAV on live EFB hives, it did not slow EFB one bit. There probably is a dose that will kill it on wooden ware, but I am sure it would need to be higher than bleach. 

The comb is probably the most infectious and hardest to disinfect. Also according to G. F. White; he performed heated incubations and time tests to determined the viability of EFB in comb, honey and pollen. The simplest method is to store comb for at least 1.5 years (keep in mind if you do this method that EFB bacteria is stored ether refrigerated or frozen to retain it's viability, you will need to add additional time for cold weather). There were some heated incubations tests for a quicker turn around if you need the equipment.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

As a hobbyist beekeeper my only inexpensive yet highly accessible
comb cleaning agent is the HO2O (hydrogen peroxide) available at
any local drug store. Maybe you can find my post on a search here.
The reaction is an exothermic one. So not to worry much about the comb.
What can be better than a clean yet non toxic residue free agent, eh.


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

beepro said:


> As a hobbyist beekeeper my only inexpensive yet highly accessible
> comb cleaning agent is the HO2O (hydrogen peroxide) available at
> any local drug store. Maybe you can find my post on a search here.
> The reaction is an exothermic one. So not to worry much about the comb.
> What can be better than a clean yet non toxic residue free agent, eh.


Or you can find it and link it for us...


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## pinkpantherbeekeeper (Feb 10, 2016)

If you use hydrogen peroxide, how do you apply it to the frames? Direct pour, soak, dilute, etc?


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## pinkpantherbeekeeper (Feb 10, 2016)

Irradiation on plants is not the same thing. For example, they irradiate apples for pathogens with no I'll effect on the apple.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

At first I diluted it with tap water at almost a 50/50 ratio. When I saw the 
good result at cleaning and bleaching the comb I increased it to full strength.
So I poured the entire bottle into a bottle sprayer and start filling the cells first.
Once at 50% full you can pour the entire bottle on the comb. Without first spraying
on the cells the water or h020 will not get inside the cells to clean them. Air bubbles would
form either using the water or h020 alone or together. And the solution cannot get inside the cells.
The next time if I want to do it in large quantity I will use a 3 gal garden sprayer the one with an automatic
spray with a lock down trigger.


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## Rob789 (May 10, 2016)

They are doing this my way for AFB: http://www.montcobeekeepers.org/Pages/Irradiation.aspx


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

FlowerPlanter said:


> >Bleach is also listed in the "EFB cleanup" thread; IMO bleach bath will kill everything including AFB spores that come in direct contact. Then air dry and all the bleach will evaporate away leaving no residue. Bleach is cheap and readily available.


I want and tend to agree with that. Chlorine pool shocking is considered to be like the nuclear option in that it pretty much kills everything. You could easily soak woodenware in much higher concentration than you would shock a pool. Makes me think of rigging up a utility sink for the purpose sized so that I could submerge a super or two full of frames. The more I learn about EFB the more I feel that I need a set routine for dealing with it every time that I find it. And a bleach soak would be pretty doable.


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## beesquad15 (Nov 5, 2014)

Hey all!
I just got the results back from the bee labs and It turns out that there was no foulbrood present and the bees turn out to have died from parasitic-mite-syndrome and nosema.. I don't know what the exceptable level for nosema is, but on of the hives had a 2.6 million spore count and had a verroa count of 6.6 per hundred bees! Yikes!!!! I guess my question is now can I reuse the combs with out having to clean them up?


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## hex0rz (Jan 14, 2014)

I believe it wasn't your nosema, but the pms that got you. 

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-nosema-twins-part-2-detection-microscopy/

Yes you can reuse the comb no problem. 

I suffered the same fate last year. I had efb early on, but thought it was pms. So I treated for pms but want effective enough and still had efb. Lost 8 out of 12.

This is classic as to why it's important to stay on top of things.


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## IslandLife (Apr 14, 2015)

UV and (gamma) radiation are 2 different things. UV is light and will have shadows, and those shadows are not disinfected/impacted by the ultraviolet "rays." This is an issue when UV lights are used for water treatment (for instance) and there is a lot of particulate matter in the water, which will block part of the light and diminishes its ability to kill bacteria adhered to the particles or floating around behind them. Therefore, I don't think that UV light can be very effective in sterilizing comb, or woodwork.

"Radiation" on the other hand can pass through solid objects and "zap" certain biological objects in its path, given the right dose and strength. Gamma radiation is an ionizing radiation and therefore a hazard to biological tissues.

While on the physics/chemistry lesson; hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a strong oxidizer, stronger than chlorine (bleach), and can be used as a disinfectant. But, it requires direct contact with whatever you want to kill/disinfect.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

David LaFerney said:


> I want and tend to agree with that. Chlorine pool shocking is considered to be like the nuclear option in that it pretty much kills everything. You could easily soak woodenware in much higher concentration than you would shock a pool. Makes me think of rigging up a utility sink for the purpose sized so that I could submerge a super or two full of frames. The more I learn about EFB the more I feel that I need a set routine for dealing with it every time that I find it. And a bleach soak would be pretty doable.


So bleach kills both AFB and EFB?


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

snl said:


> So bleach kills both AFB and EFB?


This from the UK;

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...3EmNxObTh2ljeazR3FIeyg&bvm=bv.125596728,d.eWE

"Brood boxes, supers and other beekeeping equipment can be effectively sterilised using disinfectants containing hypochlorite. Sodium hypochlorite is present at a concentration of about 3% in household bleach. Research has shown that immersion for twenty minutes in a solution of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite kills AFB spores and other bacteria. In this case you therefore need to make a solution of one part household bleach to five parts water. It is essential that the spores are in contact with the solution, so any items immersed must be thoroughly cleaned."

From New Zealand; 

http://www.afb.org.nz/sodium-hypochlorite

"Sodium hypochlorite is a commonly used sterilising agent, and is one of the few common disinfectants that is effective against AFB spores. Sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in household bleach (e.g., Janola®), and is present in such products at about 3% concentration. Research has shown that concentrations of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite in water will kill all AFB spores in 20 minutes"

Dr. Eric H. Erickson;

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...aV8dcNRIAiUIm6A0EvTQmw&bvm=bv.125596728,d.eWE

"Unfortunately, bleach will not kill the spores of afb. They have outer ‘shells’ that are impervious to almost all chemicals unless they are applied using heat and pressure. You should consider rendering the wax and selling it, and burning the equipment. Alternatively, you could reinstall bees in the equipment and treat with antibiotics if your state regulations allow this procedure."


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

It's kind of a moot point concerning AFB - the law in my state is clear, and no treatment is acceptable. However, I think I'm going to try to come up with an EFB control and prevention protocol that involves bleach sterilization of any suspected equipment. I'm also leaning toward giving some Minnesota Hygenic queens a trial too - not because I expect a problem with AFB, but just because it would be such a nightmare. Years of work and money investment gone like that... Anyway, I bet my nuc customers would go for it.


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