Sterilising wooden feeders

[thewoodgatherer]

Just wondering how others sterilise their wood millar or ashforth feeders. I have just made myself one and am now thinking how should I sterilise it when finished with. What about caustic soda wash?

[Patrick]

Tbh, I think cleaning rather than sterilising as such is sufficient for feeders. I would use a solution of washing soda and then let them dry off.

Caustic soda is horrible stuff and not great to dispose of, so personally I avoid using it for anything.

[Nigel Pringle]

Add some thymol to your sugar solution.
I make a 1000x solution of 20g thymol dissolved in 100 ml of isopropyl alcohol. In use, I add 1ml per liter of syrup. Prevents any bacteria/fungi from growing and is even reputed to prevent nosema.

[DianeBees]

National Bee Unit
Best Practice Guideline No. 7
Feeding Bees

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadNews.cfm?id=121

If syrup is stored for any length of time then a scummy black fungal growth
may appear. This can be prevented by adding a little thymol. Thymol does
not dissolve readily in water but a solution can be made up in a small
sealable bottle. Fill it to one third with thymol crystals* and top the bottle up
with surgical spirit. Add 2.5 ml. of this solution to 4.5 l. of sugar syrup or half
a teaspoon to a gallon of syrup. *Obtainable from bee equipment suppliers.

[Patrick]

Another note with thymolated syrup is that if you store the syrup in a plastic container the container will take on the smell of the thymol..which can be quite pungent.

I mix up my syrup in home brew wide neck 25l fermenting barrels with 10kg of sugar and about 7l of hot tap water, using an electric drill and a plaster mixing paddle which make about 3 gallons or 15 litres. Takes 5 minutes and a pair of ear defenders to mix up about 9 gallons - I could make more per barrel but gets irksome to move and carry. When I do use thymolated syrup I add the solution to an old bucket and add it in before putting in the feeder - that way I avoid later brewing beer which has a subtle aftertaste of thymol... yeucch!

Use of thymolated syrup was popularised by R.O.B Manley (a true legend of a beekeeping author) and is sometimes referred to to in its dosage rates as multiples of the basic strength advised by Manley i.e. 2 x or 3x Manley.

Interesting things to read about it in trials on Randy Oliver's Scientific Beekeeping website for those tempted to give it a go.