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Author Topic: Hive Clean on Swarms?  (Read 3000 times)

Offline Eric Conceicao

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Hive Clean on Swarms?
« on: April 21, 2015, 04:57:22 am »
Hi everyone,
I heard about the product "hive clean" a few months back, and was just wondering about it's uses in regard to swarms. (see http://www.beevital.com/#latestnews-bv). Can this product be used to good effect on swarms that have not yet been hived? Ty for input.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2015, 03:02:40 pm »
"BeeVital HiveClean? activates the purification of bee colonies. Honeybees will be regenerated by natural means and will produce best quality honey."

Sorry, but it sounds like meaningless drivel to me...  What do you "activate"?  What is "purification of bee colonies"?  Is it a purgative?  Laxitive?  Does it give them the runs?  How are the honey bees "regenerated"?  What does it mean to "regenerate" a honey bee?  My bees already produce the "best quality honey".  How is this product going to improve that?

"activates the natural cleaning instinct of the bees"  Bee already have natural cleaning instincts... 

"...microscopic droplets to adhere to the fine hair of the bees. Through social contact and the natural instinct of purification, the product is distributed evenly to all other bees and ensures, that the cells containing dead larvae are thoroughly cleaned by the activated bees. These larvae and all other foreign objects as well as dirt particles are consequently removed from the bee hive."

So this makes them all feel dirty and that motivates them to clean out dead larvae that they were otherwise going to leave there?  I'm sorry, but bees already do all these things without anyone spraying anything on them...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline don2

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2015, 09:12:34 pm »
That is my thought. I do clean the hive bodies and the frames. Just scrape wax and propolis  and anything else off.
If you ever have American Foul Brood your're required to burn everything anyhow. Half the things that are advertised for beekeeping are not needed. Using anything like that would negate  Natural beekeeping anyway. d2

Offline Eric Conceicao

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2015, 04:14:00 am »
So it seems like the consensus is that Hive Clean is just BS : ). I'm assuming that methods such as treating the swarm outside the hive with oxalic dribble or OAV would be preferable if one were interestd in lowering phoretic mite count. I'm not totally set on this currently, but I'm trying to learn my options as best as possible for future reference.

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2015, 10:56:57 am »
I can't say it doesn't work.  Especially since they described it in such vague (yet oddly specific) ways that I can't even say what it is supposed to do, let alone how it actually does it...

The beekeepers in India have taken to spraying their combs with cow urine.  I would expect it would have a similar effect... maybe even better... Imagine that this paragraph were referring to cow urine and read it again...

"...microscopic droplets to adhere to the fine hair of the bees. Through social contact and the natural instinct of purification, the product is distributed evenly to all other bees and ensures, that the cells containing dead larvae are thoroughly cleaned by the activated bees. These larvae and all other foreign objects as well as dirt particles are consequently removed from the bee hive."
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline OldMech

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2015, 09:50:52 am »
"BeeVital HiveClean? activates the purification of bee colonies. Honeybees will be regenerated by natural means and will produce best quality honey."

Sorry, but it sounds like meaningless drivel to me...  What do you "activate"?  What is "purification of bee colonies"?  Is it a purgative?  Laxitive?  Does it give them the runs?  How are the honey bees "regenerated"?  What does it mean to "regenerate" a honey bee?  My bees already produce the "best quality honey".  How is this product going to improve that?

"activates the natural cleaning instinct of the bees"  Bee already have natural cleaning instincts... 

"...microscopic droplets to adhere to the fine hair of the bees. Through social contact and the natural instinct of purification, the product is distributed evenly to all other bees and ensures, that the cells containing dead larvae are thoroughly cleaned by the activated bees. These larvae and all other foreign objects as well as dirt particles are consequently removed from the bee hive."

So this makes them all feel dirty and that motivates them to clean out dead larvae that they were otherwise going to leave there?  I'm sorry, but bees already do all these things without anyone spraying anything on them...


   I have to stand with Mr. Bush on this one.
   It sounds like someone went to some lengths to make this sound good, but didnt go far enough to make it believable.  Interested to hear from anyone who has used it?
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2015, 10:33:24 am »
Dust the swarm with a little powdered sugar, this causes them to groom themselves and clean the cells of any drawn comb you may have installed them on.

Offline don2

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Re: Hive Clean on Swarms?
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2015, 07:50:35 pm »
When I first started keeping bees I was told and read that the workers cleaned the cells every time a be emerged or for the honey cells they cleaned those. This of course does not take care of the build up of what ever in the wax comb. That can be taken care of only by culling out the comb on a schedule. This is why a good number of us would like to not buy ready foundation made from wax that is contaminated with who knows what and let the bees make their own.  This is where crush and strain plays a big roll.  I know, some will say the wax cost too much to be used in this way. Don't forget, good clean #1 wax is 6 $ +/- a lb.  d2