Here's something a local beek told me the other day (we were discussing treating comb for eggs/vermin) ....
He saw a beek colleague use Star-San (a sulfonic acid/phosphoric acid combo) to spray active comb in his hives. The bees didn't seem to mind it, there didn't seem to be any mortality with them [at least, at the time .... and maybe since] and the colleague says he's had no issues this year with SHB and/or moth maggots overrunning his hives (which has been an issue for him in the past, pre-Star-San).
The formulation is 1 oz per 5 gallons water.
I use the stuff to sanitize my wine-making equipment/btls before using them. Never heard of any bee-related application.
Does anybody know about this, or have an anecdote from somebody?! :scratch:
Thx for any feedback; before I try it, I'd like to think I won't be frying The Girls or any eggs w/in the comb. I confess, it's hard for me to see anything being so effective against maggots/vermin eggs yet not affecting bee larvae/eggs.
Mitch
He saw a beek colleague use Star-San (a sulfonic acid/phosphoric acid combo) to spray active comb in his hives. The bees didn't seem to mind it, there didn't seem to be any mortality with them [at least, at the time .... and maybe since] and the colleague says he's had no issues this year with SHB and/or moth maggots overrunning his hives (which has been an issue for him in the past, pre-Star-San).
The formulation is 1 oz per 5 gallons water.
I use the stuff to sanitize my wine-making equipment/btls before using them. Never heard of any bee-related application.
Does anybody know about this, or have an anecdote from somebody?! :scratch:
Thx for any feedback; before I try it, I'd like to think I won't be frying The Girls or any eggs w/in the comb. I confess, it's hard for me to see anything being so effective against maggots/vermin eggs yet not affecting bee larvae/eggs.
Mitch