First experience of vapourising OA

[Levitt53]

I did my first vapourisation on Sunday afternoon. My brother-in-law helped as he knows about batteries etc and I needed a second pair of hands. I did a varroa inspection board count in November which indicated that this one hive needed treating (as I expected). We weren’t sure what to expect but it seemed to go well. There was a real buzz from the hive when the vaporiser warmed up. There was a black mess in the vaporiser when we had finished. However I had a peek at the inspection board this afternoon, so roughly 48 hours later, and there isn’t much of anything on there. The weather was been wet so there is a bit of condensation present. I had expected a deluge of dead varroa based on what others have said. I can’t see that I could have done anything wrong. I used the approved product. How long should I leave the inspection board in place? Any thoughts.

 

[For want of a better word]

My thought was ... Why did you not Vaporise with "the approved product" in November?

Possibly try a trickle... or leave well alone till spring!

Yeghes da

 

[Levitt53]

My thought was ... Why did you not Vaporise with "the approved product" in November?

Possibly try a trickle... or leave well alone till spring!

Yeghes da

I waited until they were probably broodless which they wouldn’t have been then as it was quite warm here. I didn’t want to do it three times plus it wasn’t an emergency situation and I was away for most of December so that’s why.

 

[For want of a better word]

I waited until they were probably broodless which they wouldn’t have been then as it was quite warm here. I didn’t want to do it three times plus it wasn’t an emergency situation and I was away for most of December so that’s why.

Has been some considerable discussion on the forum about the use of OA and if it has much effect if the bees are clustered.
Some advocate brood removal once honey has been taken off in the Autumn, prior to vapourising with OA so that Varroa has nowhere to hide.... and all the colony gets a good dose!
Others trickling OA solution over the bees in deep mid winter... guessing when colony is broodless.
I have also had it suggested that the approved product could be mixed with icing sugar and dusted over the bees... but not in winter!

In the best part of 25 years no one seems to have come up with an definitive way to kill the mite, that did not have some horrible side effect.... but I expect a plethora of replies to your post!

Did not wish my reply to appear curt BTW !

Good Luck
Yeghes da

 

[Levitt53]

Has been some considerable discussion on the forum about the use of OA and if it has much effect if the bees are clustered.
Some advocate brood removal once honey has been taken off in the Autumn, prior to vapourising with OA so that Varroa has nowhere to hide.... and all the colony gets a good dose!
Others trickling OA solution over the bees in deep mid winter... guessing when colony is broodless.
I have also had it suggested that the approved product could be mixed with icing sugar and dusted over the bees... but not in winter!

In the best part of 25 years no one seems to have come up with an definitive way to kill the mite, that did not have some horrible side effect.... but I expect a plethora of replies to your post!

Did not wish my reply to appear curt BTW !

Good Luck
Yeghes da

No problem. It did cross my mind that it might have been too cold but last weekend when I first planned to do it it was way too windy for us to do it for the first time with a bit of an unknown chemical. I don’t know.

Should I take the board out do you think? It’s either worked or not so I don’t really want the board in there collecting water.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You may have brood in there and all the varroa are there.
That’s my bet considering you had a significant natural drop in November

 

[Millet]

My hives have brood in them and i am in the cold north east, either way i can't see it being a problem by vaping now just do three vapes five days apart.

 

[Levitt53]

You may have brood in there and all the varroa are there.
That’s my bet considering you had a significant natural drop in November

I would assume that I would still got a fair amount even if not all. The drop in November was 51 over 7 days.

 

[Swarm]

Fifty one mites over seven days is not particularly high, some had higher than that in 24 hrs.
Give us a brief run through what you did, Rachel, just so we get a clearer idea.
For example.
Board in and hive sealed. Vape from under OMF or through entrance. How much stuff used, how long for vape. Hive left sealed for a while afterwards. The board left in for resultant mite drop would also give you clues of broodless or not by capping debris.

 

[Levitt53]

I didn’t think it was too much but followed advice from the calculator thing. We put the inspection board in, used 2.3g (or there about, difficult to measure), vaped through entrance, poly hive on double brood (oh that might be it), sealed hive, left it on for 3 minutes, took it out and left it sealed for 15 minutes.

Probably needed to double the dose for double brood box. Only just realised that.

 

[For want of a better word]

I leave my boards in, but then they are not a tight fit.

Vape them in the spring.. keep the batch number of the ApiPoxall you used for your VMD return and get generic OA at 1/100 th of the price on fleabuy!!!..... ( I NEVER SUGGESTED THAT !!!)


Yeghes da

 

[drex]

I use 2.5 gms on double brood with good result. Sometimes though 3.5 if well populated.

 

[fatshark]

... keep the batch number of the ApiPoxall you used for your VMD return ...

Do you remember the days when you could download serial numbers from dodgy websites for software to unlock the primitive registration systems they used?

How long until impecunious beekeepers share them for Api-Bioxal? ... like A287364 expiry date 30/7/19 ... oops

PS Don't bother trying, it's a fictitious one.

 

[Millet]

Why all the pussy footing around.. the mere thought mentioning OA.. should i shrivel up and die.. ffs just buy the wood bleach and use it in your vaping machines simple as , will you get 10yr's in prison for it ?.. i very much doubt it.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Well thats the last we will see of millet

 

[For want of a better word]

Well thats the last we will see of millet

No No NO... however they need an experienced beekeeper up on the Moor, how many years will he get....5 years with 3 months off for good behavior?

Went up there on a visit once* .... I do not like prison food!


* to carry out an environmental assessment on a pond/ cystern HMP wanted to drain.

Yeghes da

 

[madasafish]

Why all the pussy footing around.. the mere thought mentioning OA.. should i shrivel up and die.. ffs just buy the wood bleach and use it in your vaping machines simple as , will you get 10yr's in prison for it ?.. i very much doubt it.

Millet

I am not trying to wind you up and am being perfectly serious.

The VMD are NOT idiots. They will know either directly through experience or reading or indirectly (As BIs can read in winter when they are unemployed) that there is widespread flouting of the law.

So they have a choice: chase up everyone (they don't have the resources), have a couple of test cases with swingeing fines (and destroy trust with beekeepers) or have a couple of test cases with small fines and a warning that subsequent fines will be much bigger etc and continue to inspect offenders with no notice..
Or do nothing and look plonkers -not a viable option.

Their credibility is on the line with beekeepers and - IF they have the resources and time - I would go for the third option (small fines first) if I was them.

And who better to start with than a self confessed breaker of the law?
(No doubt they could get a Court Order to force Admin to reveal your real name etc).

Sticking it up their noses as you are doing is basically asking them to keep inspecting you...

At my last BI inspection (Post AFB) the Inspector asked my permission # to take a sample of honey which was sent to labs and tested for illegal substances . It can back clean of whatever they tested for.

# I believe it is not compulsory but was innocent of wrongdoing so did not worry.

 

[Millet]

Millet

I am not trying to wind you up and am being perfectly serious.

The VMD are NOT idiots. They will know either directly through experience or reading or indirectly (As BIs can read in winter when they are unemployed) that there is widespread flouting of the law.

So they have a choice: chase up everyone (they don't have the resources), have a couple of test cases with swingeing fines (and destroy trust with beekeepers) or have a couple of test cases with small fines and a warning that subsequent fines will be much bigger etc and continue to inspect offenders with no notice..
Or do nothing and look plonkers -not a viable option.

Their credibility is on the line with beekeepers and - IF they have the resources and time - I would go for the third option (small fines first) if I was them.

And who better to start with than a self confessed breaker of the law?
(No doubt they could get a Court Order to force Admin to reveal your real name etc).

Sticking it up their noses as you are doing is basically asking them to keep inspecting you...

At my last BI inspection (Post AFB) the Inspector asked my permission # to take a sample of honey which was sent to labs and tested for illegal substances . It can back clean of whatever they tested for.

# I believe it is not compulsory but was innocent of wrongdoing so did not worry.

Where is the proof i actually own a Varrox let alone bee hives, i could be living in a dream world for all you know, and who is to say i am not a secret winter dribbler and drench my bees in winter with my home made sugar solution..

 

[madasafish]

Where is the proof i actually own a Varrox let alone bee hives, i could be living in a dream world for all you know, and who is to say i am not a secret winter dribbler and drench my bees in winter with my home made sugar solution..

Well I tried.:-(

 

[Eyeman]

i could be living in a dream world for all you know,

There's a few of those about!