First ever Oxalic acid treatment - Tips please?

[Winker]

My moral is like Russians'. When the normal robbers use to say "money or life", a Russian robber takes first life and then money.

I kill first mites and then I count.

.

Well thats just silly, why would you kill for something, just to findout they didnt have what you killed them for. Best to findout if they have money before you kill them. But thats Russians for you! Act before they think, I would rather think before i act. But thats just me!

 

[beeno]

Well no not really. The dogs dont get past the kitchen.

No but the fleas do. Had the same set up and I am talking from experience. Still would not treat my dog as I considered that if it kills fleas it cannot be too good for people either since you have close contact with a dog.

 

[beeno]

Well thats just silly, why would you kill for something, just to findout they didnt have what you killed them for. Best to findout if they have money before you kill them. But thats Russians for you! Act before they think, I would rather think before i act. But thats just me!

Hi Winker,
The reason why I acted was that I had come to understand that Varroa is fairly ubiquitous and mite drop is not a reliable way of ascertaining whether your bees have it. So, how would you establish that yours don't have Varroa. Think about it.
I initially was not a fan of OA and still isn't but is there an alternative other than letting most of your bees die? All my colonies (this year's swarm collections) had Varroa to differing degrees.

 

[jp19sqn]

How does one trickle treat double brood? Just do the top box assuming the cluster has moved up?

Jon

 

[Winker]

Hi Winker,
The reason why I acted was that I had come to understand that Varroa is fairly ubiquitous and mite drop is not a reliable way of ascertaining whether your bees have it. So, how would you establish that yours don't have Varroa. Think about it.
I initially was not a fan of OA and still isn't but is there an alternative other than letting most of your bees die? All my colonies (this year's swarm collections) had Varroa to differing degrees.

Beeno, I may use OA myself this year, im not saying its not to be used. I have 18 Over wintering Nucs that I want to OA, only because I didn't do a autumn apiguard treatment on them.

I have a concern that I may not be able to use it though, as my weather has been extremely warm here this winter. I don't think I have had a brood break. We had a few cold days where it went down to -3 for 2 days, but other than that its been 8-13C here most days. My bees have been flying nearly every day.

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

OA

my thoughts are, whats the point in worrying about mite drop anyway, why put the board in, the oxalicis going to do something, if it doesn't,then what are you going to do anyway, ya can't do two applications!.

any thoughts on that? ( done mine today)

Dave W

 

[TOBY-3652]

I have never done mine ,but i am doing this year i treated with apiguard, and the mite drop on some was horendous nearly 70000 mites dropped in a month on 3 hives i also had 5 colonies drop nearly 50000 and some 2/ 3000 but i had 3 colonies drop between 200 and 700 in a month so im biting the bullet and treating them all in the next couple of weeks.. It will be interesting 2 see how many mites drop off the hives

 

[Finman]

How does one trickle treat double brood? Just do the top box assuming the cluster has moved up?

Jon

YOu trickle douple brood from up. Do not split it.

 

[Hombre]

Money or Life - Russian saying (?)

Well thats just silly, why would you kill for something, just to findout they didnt have what you killed them for. Best to findout if they have money before you kill them. But thats Russians for you! Act before they think, I would rather think before i act. But thats just me!

Not silly, but a language thing. It was a stic-up, not a put-up.

In the middle of a heist, you are unlikely to want a language lesson, but Ivan clearly meant Money and Life - so sorry for my grammar . . . Bang! It's a non-English speaking genuine mistake, now where are the New Year sales . . .

= = =

On a more on thread note regarding OA, with the continued wet weather, mild temperatures and the daylight beginning to pull out a bit, I feel that I have probably missed the Oxalic Acid window of primary opportunity this year.

My winter feed is thymolated and the autumn treatments were done, so in the spring when I do rolling shook swarms, I will take the opportunity to spray the bees, in the same way that you might treat a swarm or newly made up package, with OA syrup at the point of shaking before the foundation is gently plonked into the box.

Not quite as easy/quick as trickling for an apiary overall, but no reason to get too bent out of shape by it and an oportunistic way to ensure that the bees get a clean start to the season.

 

[lindalinda]

very nice information's all post are very informative and helping.

 

[yzalich]

OA Trickle

YOu trickle douple brood from up. Do not split it.

Procedures described in the German bee keeping literature states that the correct method is to split and trickle each brood box separately!

 

[Finman]

Procedures described in the German bee keeping literature states that the correct method is to split and trickle each brood box separately!

In practice you can/not do that. When you put the box down, you have splitted the cluster and you will squeezed thousands of bees between fráme sticks.

. just told...your choice.