DIY... Oxalic acid strips

[Etton]

Anyone had any success with homemade oxalic acid strips?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Can’t be bothered. Abelo sell them.

 

[captain666]

Hi Etton.

I still have a tub of dehydrated oxalic acid I bought from Thornes many years ago. They discontinued this (I believe) as a varroa treatment but I think they still sell it for hive cleaning or such.

Perhaps the pretty precise measurements to make up a dose caused problems for some people.

Could there's more money in selling apibioxal sachets?

I trickle once a year when there is no brood. Works a treat.

Also pretty good for treating a swarm before they get into lay.

Fred.

 

[robmort]

Yes have made and used the strips and they work well.

 

[Buzzlodge]

I still have a tub of dehydrated oxalic acid I bought from Thornes many years ago ...

Its because the tub isn't an approved medicine, whereas apibioxil is (in Ireland also).

 

[linoleum bonypart]

No point making them.. they are cheap as chips at Abelo

 

[Etton]

No point making them.. they are cheap as chips at Abelo

 

[Etton]

In order to fully ‘clean’ the hive how many abelo strips do you put in a BB and for how long?

 

[Erichalfbee]

In order to fully ‘clean’ the hive how many abelo strips do you put in a BB and for how long?

4
6 weeks.
be aware that the glycerine drips down and out of the omf.

 

[Swarm]

I didn't have dripping but probably because they went in quite early, so lower temps.

 

[Etton]

When’s the best time to place the strips in ( I know after supers come off) , my thinking is in place of autumn OA vaporisation? Leaving strips in for 6 weeks seems a lot easier than vaping 3 times over 3 weeks.

 

[Etton]

Also I don’t want to trickle again this year, as I think it did more harm than good last year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

When’s the best time to place the strips in ( I know after supers come off) , my thinking is in place of autumn OA vaporisation? Leaving strips in for 6 weeks seems a lot easier than vaping 3 times over 3 weeks.

Vaping is every five days. Not once weekly.

 

[Etton]

Yes, every 5 days of course!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Vaping is every five days. Not once weekly.

Isn't a week five days long then?
three in work, then the weekend

 

[Etton]

I plan to use the Abelo oxalic strips on my hives. How successful have they been with other users? No honey to take off, just supers with winter stores & syrup, is it ok to use the strips with these remaining in the hives?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I plan to use the Abelo oxalic strips on my hives. How successful have they been with other users? No honey to take off, just supers with winter stores & syrup, is it ok to use the strips with these remaining in the hives?

Yes you can use them.
I’m not sure about autumn treatment. I put some on a problem colony in spring. I prefer OAV this time of year.

 

[Etton]

Yes you can use them.
I’m not sure about autumn treatment. I put some on a problem colony in spring. I prefer OAV this time of year.

I too prefer to OA vape, but with an increase in hive numbers and vaping each one 3 times on different dates it is a major task and if the abelo OA strips work, then it is a lot easier task. Anyone using OA strips as an autumn treatment, and if so any feedback? Thanks

 

[HarryO]

Report on use/efficacy of some OA strips. They appear to have been water based not glycerine and trialled in Spring and Autumn.



https://www.apimondia.com/docs/apiacta/2006/marinelli_apiacta.pdf
“The efficacy of cellulose strips was evaluated in comparison with other oxalic acid treatments: trickling and vaporisation methods. In spring trials the effectiveness of the cellulose strips was not statistically different from the varroa natural fall. Similarly the autumn trials gave the same results to confirm the low efficacy of this method. However when spraying, trickling and vaporising oxalic acid, varroa mite control was good under central Italian conditions. The unsatisfactory efficacy of cellulose strips versus the good control results of trickling and vaporization suggests the possibility that the high acidity of oxalic acid water solutions (pH around 1) may be responsible for the best oxalic acid activity against the mites.”

 

[drex]

Randy Oliver( scientific beekeeping) has done a lot of work on most effective recipe for OA strips and his results are very promising