Environmental Management at the Apiary

Environmental control products are materials and practices that reduce disease, pest and climate stress by managing the environment of the hive, the combs and the apiary, without being given to the bees as medicine: disinfection, comb protection, barriers against ants, mice and hornets, insulation, shade and a water source are the main ones. Well chosen, they reduce the need for medicines; badly chosen, they can leave residues in honey and wax or harm the bees.

What are environmental control products?

Bee health is not protected by medicines alone. Dirty equipment, moth-infested comb, a damp hive or a stand besieged by ants weaken a colony before any medicine comes into play. What the products on this page have in common is that they are applied to the environment, not to the bees.

• Hygiene and disinfection: Cleaning hive bodies, frames and tools.
• Comb protection: Protecting stored combs against wax moth and mould.
• Pest barriers: Physical measures against ants, mice, hornets and birds.
• Climate management: Insulation, ventilation, shade, windbreaks and water.

A product sold as chemical-free or "natural" can still have an insecticidal effect. So the same question must be asked of every product: what does it do to the bees, the honey and the wax?

How do you disinfect hives and equipment?

A significant proportion of disease agents are carried on comb, frames and tools. Cleaning is essential, especially before reusing equipment left from a colony that has died or fallen ill.

• Scraping: First scrape off propolis, wax and debris; disinfectant does not work on a dirty surface.
• Scorching with a flame: The inner surfaces of empty wooden bodies and floors are heated with a blowtorch until they darken slightly. Pay attention to cracks and corners in the wood.
• Hot caustic soda solution: Used for cleaning frames, plastic parts and metal tools. It is corrosive; gloves, goggles and good ventilation are needed.
• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite): Suitable for plastic feeders, containers and gloves; then rinse with plenty of water.
• Hive tool and gloves: Should be cleaned between hives, especially after a suspect colony.

How do you protect stored combs?

Combs taken out of the hive after the harvest are exposed to wax moths (Galleria mellonella and Achroia grisella) because they no longer have the bees' protection. Wax moth particularly likes dark combs that have held brood and contain pollen.

• Cold: Keeping combs in a deep freezer (about −18 °C) for a day or two kills all stages of the moth. They are then stored in a closed, cool place that the moth cannot reach again.
• Light and air: Wax moth likes darkness and still air. If combs are hung spaced apart in a light, airy place, damage is markedly reduced.
• Acetic acid fumes: A traditional method used to reduce wax moth eggs and Nosema spores on bee-free combs in a closed stack. It is corrosive and rusts metal parts; it is applied in the open air with protection, and the combs are aired thoroughly before use.
• Biological preparations: In some countries comb-protection products containing Bacillus thuringiensis are authorised; they target wax moth larvae. Authorised products only, used according to the label.
• Sulphur smoke: A traditional method; because it does not kill the eggs, it has to be repeated. It carries a risk of toxic gas and fire; use only on empty comb, in the open and with care.

Do not use naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. These substances accumulate in beeswax and can be found as residues in honey.

What measures can be taken against ants, mice and hornets?

• Ant barrier: Grease, petroleum jelly or lanolin is smeared on the legs of the stand; the legs can be stood in dishes filled with oil or water. Pouring insecticide around the hive is risky for the bees.
• Mouse guard: A perforated metal strip fitted to the entrance in autumn stops mice getting in while letting the bees pass.
• Hornet measures: An entrance reducer makes it harder for hornets to hunt in front of the hive during their peak period. If traps are used, a selective design that does not let honey bees in should be chosen. Help can be sought from the local authorities to destroy nearby nests.
• Birds and woodpeckers: Wrapping hives in wire mesh throughout the winter prevents woodpecker damage.
• Vegetation: Grass on the apiary floor is kept under control by mowing; no herbicides are used around the hives.

Hive climate: insulation, ventilation, shade and water

Insulation and moisture

In winter the real problem is often not the cold but moisture condensing on the roof. Placing an insulation board or a thick cover under the roof reduces warm air hitting a cold surface and dripping. Foam (polystyrene) hives and insulated roofs have an advantage here. Ventilation should be set so that it does not create a draught over the cluster.

Shade and coolness

In hot regions, a shade against the midday sun, a light-coloured roof and a stand raised off the ground lower the temperature inside the hive. Frequent bearding is a sign that the hive is overheating or is full.

Water source

Bees carry water for cooling and for feeding brood. A clean, permanent water point near the apiary (a container with floating wood or stones) stops bees going to neighbours' pools, livestock troughs or dirty water.

What to watch out for with "natural" products

• Botanical insecticides: Neem oil and similar plant-based insecticides may be "natural", but they are effective against insects; they must not be sprayed on the hive, the bees or the flowers the bees visit.
• Pheromone traps: Attract only the target pest; they are used for crop pests and do not solve problems inside the hive.
• Essential oil blends: The effectiveness of scented mixtures smeared around the hive is mostly unproven; they can carry odour into wax and honey.

Safe-use principles

1. Authorisation and label: Any product applied to the bees or inside the comb must be authorised in your country and used according to the label.
2. Residues: Beeswax accumulates fat-soluble substances; once contaminated, wax carries residues for years.
3. Timing: While supers are on the hive, no treatment that could come into contact with honey is carried out.
4. Records: The product used, the date and the hive treated should be written down.
5. Physical measures first: Cleaning, correct storage and barriers; chemicals are the last resort.

Common mistakes

• Giving combs from a dead colony to other hives before the cause of death is known.
• Storing combs with naphthalene.
• Sprinkling insecticide at the base of the hive against ants.
• Assuming that a spray labelled "natural" is harmless to bees.
• Closing off ventilation completely in winter, causing condensation.