>You can clean the hives by washing them
>with a sodiumhydroxide solution
 
Has anyone tried using Hydrogen Peroxide to wash
combs with Foulbrood?  After my first winter in beekeeping,
all three of my hives died of an unknown disease.  They
had a white-ish mould growing on some of them, particularly
where there was pollen.  A friend of mine suggested washing
them with a diluted Hydrogen Peroxide solution, and I did,
and put new bees in them and they seemed to be fine.  Since
peroxide is used as an antiseptic on cuts, etc, I would assume
it kills bacteria, which is what Foulbrood is.  No?  And if it does
work, it should be safer than sodium hydroxide, which I think is
the same as bleach or similar.
 
Just a thought.  Comments?
 
Ian Watson    [log in to unmask]
real estate agent     gardener    baritone
beekeeper---> 13 colonies