Practical Guide: 4.1 Hygiene

Hygiene in colony management is essential for preventing disease and maintaining healthy colonies. It concerns both the beekeeper's behavior and the correct use of equipment. The following information is based on the official checklist 4.1 of the Swiss Bee Health Service.

Official factsheet – Summary

Factsheet: 4.1 Hygiene

• Principle: Rigorous hygiene limits the transmission of pathogens between colonies.
• Personal hygiene:
  • Clean and orderly work at the apiary.
  • Regular cleaning or replacement of gloves and tools.
  • Give priority to working on healthy colonies.
• Equipment hygiene:
  • Cleaning and disinfection of tools and hive components.
  • Separation of clean and used equipment.
  • Appropriate management of frames and wax.
• Importance:
  • Hygiene is an integral part of good beekeeping practice.
• Important point:
  • Lack of hygiene promotes the spread of brood diseases.

► Open the official factsheet PDF (FR)

► To the official factsheet page (abeilles.ch)
Note: Chapter 4.1 “Hygiene”.

Summary established on the basis of factsheet 4.1. Last verification: 01/2026.

See also:

• Maintenance of Beekeeping Equipment
• Practical Guide: 4.4 Frame Renewal
• Practical Guide: 2.8 Varroosis
• Recognizing Bee Diseases
• On the Contagion of Foulbrood