You may have come across the following call at a glass container: “Please do not throw any unwashed honey jars into the glass container!” Is someone being particularly clean here, or is there a specific reason for this request? Yes, there is! American foulbrood can wipe out entire bee colonies in this country! You can read here how the simple act of washing out empty honey jars can prevent this.
Why you should always rinse honey jars
Recycling used glass is a matter of honor. When the honey jar is empty, it goes into the glass container. However, beekeepers have been warning for several years about the devastating consequences that honey residue in jars can have on the local bee population. They ask people to put honey jars in the dishwasher or wash them thoroughly by hand before disposing of them. The reason: the spread of American foulbrood.
American foulbrood – bee disease on the rise
American foulbrood is a disease that is completely harmless to humans. However, it poses a serious threat to bees. In the worst case, it can wipe out entire bee colonies. This is why the disease is also known as bee plague.
American foulbrood is a bacterial blood disease. The spores of the bacterium enter healthy bee colonies with contaminated honey. If the bee colony is weakened, the combs are taken over by other bee colonies, which in turn become infected. The disease can affect huge areas in this way.
The name American foulbrood is not an indication of the origin of the disease. It occurs worldwide. A beekeepers’ association estimates that 80 to 90 % of imported honey contains American foulbrood spores. This is due to the fact that infected bee colonies in non-European countries are usually treated with antibiotics. Although this keeps the bees healthy, the spores of the pathogen are not combated.
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In Germany and other European countries, for example, American foulbrood repeatedly spreads via honey residues in used glass containers. The disease is particularly common near glass containers, landfill sites and highway service stations. Bees love to collect the finished honey – especially in summer when the flowers have faded.
Which honey jars should I rinse?
If you buy imported honey from non-EU countries, which is usually cheaper, you should actually rinse your empty honey jars thoroughly before disposing of them (or donating them to a beekeeper). The same applies to honey in plastic bottles or jars. The better alternative, of course, is to use local honey. Perhaps even in a refill jar from a local beekeeper? This saves long transportation routes and CO2.
Sources: tipps.computerbild, quarks
