BuckfastLinda · Flanders, BE · Pests & Disease · Jun 29, 2026

Just realised my hive tool has touched every colony I own — what's your hygiene routine between apiaries?

Six years in and I'm a bit ashamed to admit this: I run two apiaries about 12 km apart here in Flanders, and my hive tool and gloves have been to every single colony without ever being properly disinfected. A wipe on the grass, at best. I've been reading up on AFB after a confirmed case two villages over, and apparently the spores survive for decades and laugh at most cleaning. Now I'm paranoid. What do people actually do in practice? Separate tools per apiary? Washing soda bucket? Torch? Bleach? And what about leather gloves — are they basically a spore taxi? I'd rather build a slightly annoying routine now than burn hives later.

#afb#hygiene#hive-tool#biosecurity

▲ 13 votes 💬 3 replies

3 replies

ImkerinLena · Jun 29, 2026

Sensible worry. My routine for 20 years: a strong washing soda solution (about 1 kg soda crystals in 5 L warm water plus a drop of detergent) in a lidded bucket in the car. Tools go in between apiaries, get scrubbed. For AFB-level paranoia, scorching the tool with a blowtorch until it discolours is the only thing I fully trust — spores tolerate bleach unless contact time is long and the surface is spotless first. And yes, leather gloves are a spore taxi. Switch to nitrile, one pair per apiary, bin them.

CorkBeeRon · Jun 29, 2026

Same as ImkerinLena — washing soda is the standard our inspectors here recommend. I keep two hive tools per apiary: one in use, one soaking. Swap every few colonies. Costs nothing and you never stand there waiting for a tool to dry. Nitrile gloves over the leather ones if you can't give the leather up entirely.

TopBarDavid · Jun 29, 2026

I run a torch over my tools at the end of every apiary visit — takes 30 seconds and the flame doesn't care what the pathogen is. For gloves I went to nitrile years ago and never looked back. Better feel for the bees too, you crush fewer and get stung less as a result, oddly.

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