Swedish Cloth is used extensively by beekeepers in the USA to keep their beehives healthy.
It is an excellent matrix for absorbing Oxalic Acid / Glycerine solution.
The Beequip Swedish Cloth is a high-quality product made in Germany, consisting of 70% cellulose, 30% cotton, and is 100% biodegradable.
Now available in two options: Standard & Organic*
*Organic Option: If you are operating under an organic certification program, please confirm acceptability with your certifier
Click Here to see our Biodegradable Report.
Click Here to see our Material Test Report.
The BQ Swedish Cloth does not contain colouring additives, flame retardant chemicals, or plastic membranes as found in other cleaning cloth products.
The cloth is pre-cut into strips suitable for beehives. Each dry cloth strip measures 195mm x 43mm x 2mm and weighs approximately 2.4 grams.
A dry strip will soak up 25 grams of OA / Glycerine solution, swelling to approximately 195mm x 47mm x 4mm.
Click here to see the recommended bins for commercial beekeepers to soak strips.
Click here for the video on how to soak the strips in commercial applications.
Click here to purchase a full setup kit for hobbyists.
Hobbyist Refill & Standard Refill kits are available.
Important: Research from clients in the USA states that four strips are more effective than using a single pad with the same surface area. Having 260% more edge line significantly improves efficacy.
Packed 4000 per carton, 80,000 per pallet.
Directions:
Prepare a solution comprising 50% Oxalic Acid Dihydrate and 50% food-grade glycerine by weight. See detailed instructions and videos in the mixing guide. Beequip Cardboard strips are soaked in a solution of 40% Oxalic Acid, whereas Swedish Cloth strips use a 50% solution. Note that a 50% OA/Glycerine solution takes slightly longer to dissolve and mix properly.
While the solution is around 54–58°C, soak each strip with approximately 25 grams of solution. Place the strips on their edges in a flat-bottomed soak bin, ideally in a warm place (20–30°C). Strips absorb the solution fully within 60 minutes. Allow the bin to stay in a warm place for 24 hours to equalise the solution distribution. When cooled to room temperature, the solution will solidify within each strip.
The strips can then be used immediately or packed into airtight ziplock bags for long-term storage.
A typical strong colony with two brood boxes should have four strips placed horizontally between the brood boxes, leaving spaces between the strips.
Scrape off burr comb first.
The four strips work more effectively than using a single larger pad.
Click here to view our full instruction guide.
Single vs Double Brood Box Use
Reports from the USA indicate that this system is extremely effective when placed horizontally between the brood boxes in double brood box hives. However, there were questions about efficacy when used over single brood box colonies.
In New Zealand trials during the 2024–25 summer, the cloth strips showed very good efficacy in single brood hives with the following method: -
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Laying strips horizontally over the brood box.
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Using a rimmed queen excluder to maintain bee space.
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Stacking honey supers above.
The beekeepers who did this trial said they were very impressed with the results, and plan to repeat the process next season. They also said that the bees built little burr comb on top of the excluder mesh - an excellent surprise.
Strong colonies maintained strip temperatures above 32°C, keeping the glycerine liquid, and the oxalic acid active. With heavy bee traffic, oxalic acid was effectively spread throughout the brood nest. (We were concerned in NZ that the strips could get cold. No OAE (oxalic acid extended-release) strips work very well if they get below 30°C. They need to be at brood temperature or close to it).
Important Tip for Double Brood Box use
When the soaked strips are placed between two brood boxes, it is very important that all the burr comb is removed so that there is a bee space above the strips. If this is not done, the burr comb can squash a lot of solution out of the strips and prevent the bees from walking on them and transferring the solution around the hive. The strips will be rendered largely ineffective.
A Sustainable Summer Treatment
The evidence is clear: Swedish Cloth strips are a reliable option for summer oxalic acid treatments, provided colonies are strong enough to maintain warmth and distribute the treatment.
Some of the advantages:-
- Low cost and very easy to apply
- 10 – 12 weeks of good efficacy
- Does not cover brood on the frames, causing death like most other strips.
- All natural product.
- Can be used during the honey flow.
- The bees will discard most of the strip outside the hive if they are left in place for a long enough period.
Winter Use?
Early results also suggest potential for winter use, though more research is needed. A field trial done from Jan 2025 to late Aug 2025 in the nelson region showed very good results.
Conclusion. If there is a bee space above the strips, and enough bees in the hive to keep them at the right temperature and to give good foot travel on them, then they will work very well anytime.
At Beequip, we’re excited to support beekeepers with innovative, sustainable solutions like Swedish Cloth strips—helping hives thrive, naturally.