3.0 PRACTICE OF BEEKEEPING
The candidate will be:
3.22 aware of the need for good apiary hygiene;
NOTES
Disease can easily be spread by contact with the beekeepers clothing, tools or equipment. All of these items should be cleaned before using again in another apiary, and ideally between hives in the same apiary.
Washing soda solution works well as a cleaner of equipment such as hive tools and feeders, and bleach can be used as a disinfectant.
Suits can be washed in a washing machine. Disposable gloves should be worn.
Wooden hive parts can be scorched with a blow lamp or hot air paint stripper.
Polystyrene hives are best cleaned with a solution of bleach and washing soda.
The National Bee Unit (BeeBase) have a useful advisory leaflet Hive_Cleaning_and_Sterilisation.pdf