In the meantime I have recalled that bee inspectors use washing soda as a
disinfectant for their kit. This pdf from the NBU refers:
www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=423
<https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=washing+soda+bees&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#>
<http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:fXg1JYQzidAJ:www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm%3Fid%3D423+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=safari>
<https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=related:www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm%3Fid%3D423+washing+soda+bees&tbo=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7nZmhtdHcAhWMBcAKHWILAO0QHzACegQIBxAG>
Gareth
________________________
On 3 Aug 2018, at 18:24, Helen Nunn <helenmaynunn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear all
With regard to the Rowse honey containers, OBKA (Phil Sharman) agrees with
other comments and had this to suggest:
The honey in the containers has almost certainly come from abroad and may be
carrying disease.
I wouldn't let your bees anywhere near it.
I suggest digging a shallow pit as a sink, hosing out the containers, letting
the water flow into the pit.
Then fill in the pit to prevent bees getting at the honey water.
So if anyone else has the same problem, that's what to do.
Thanks for everyone's advice. All very helpful.
Helen
On Thu, 2 Aug 2018 at 21:07, Gareth John <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
I can’t recall the source but I read somewhere recently that an estimated 90%
of imported honey contains AFB spores. A few years ago there was a
terrible AFB epidemic in South Africa due to bees robbing imported honey
while it was awaiting sterilisation (with radiation). I'd want to be sure
those containers are thoroughly cleaned and, as has been pointed out, hot
water won’t do it. Indeed I’m not sure what would as AFB spores are
notoriously resistant. Maybe the National Bee Unit website would have
something?
Gareth
On 2 Aug 2018, at 19:11, Oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx
<mailto:oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Helen, are you in OBKA? They organised a couple of trips to Rowse. After the
first one they were appalled at the biosecurity. Things had improved
somewhat a year later. You could mail them and ask their opinion of current
practises at Rowse, but I agree with Will, the contents of such containers
sound really risky.
Re: "sterilisation": When honey is pasteurised it does NOT kill AFB spores,
the temperatures to do that would ruin the honey. It just kills yeasts to
prolong shelf life once in jars.
Paul
On Thu, 2 Aug 2018, 15:38 Will H, <whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:whanrott@xxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Hi Helen,
I would be very cautious about letting the bees anywhere near these
containers. My fear would be AFB (American Foulbrood)
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_foulbrood#Disease_spread>.
An AFB infection is via spores in honey. These spores are ingested by the
bees which then transmit the disease to immature brood. The brood die,
releasing more spores. The spores may be viable for up to 40 years. The
treatment is to dig a hole and burn the hive with all your bees in it to ash.
These containers may contain sterilised honey but I wouldn't bet on it. I
don't know how to remove spores from them if they are contaminated.
This all looks very risky from a bee-keeper perspective. May I ask that if
your allotment holders do use them then please insist that, at the very
least, they wash them out into the drains (rather than onto vegetation).
Sorry to be hard-line about it, but AFB sounds very nasty.
Will
On 02/08/18 12:25, Helen Nunn wrote:
Hi
Our allotments have ordered (and just received) four huge cubic metre honey
containers from Rowse, to use as rainwater catchment butts. They have
remnants of honey in them from places like New Zealand and
who-knows-where-else. For the moment I have put the lids on to avoid wasps
and bees finding it.
My question is will this imported honey have adverse effects on my bees, if
they are allowed to finish cleaning the insides? The same thing happened a
couple of years ago, and the tanks were left open before I found out. It
doesn't seem to have affected the bees but who knows?
Any ideas please?
Helen
