Home Made Oxallic Sublimator

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So , with a Vapouriser winging its way to me as we speak, I need to treat my hives. ( checked mite drop, need treating )

2.5g Acid vapourised in closed up hive for 9 minutes. You say
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So I need to treat each 3 times , as I believe brood is still present looking externally at pollen flow.

Am I sounding like I have a proper plan ?

2g ample I'd say - maybe a little more if vaping from under the OMF - I should say two minutes power to the vaporiser - worth doing a timed test vape in the open (standing well away and upwind) to see how long it takes, then leave the bowl in place for another two minutes for all the OA to cook off on the residual heat then leave the hive closed up for about ten minutes whilst you move your kit on to the next hive.
Although with a planned double of your apiary next year, how long yiur cheap fleabay bargain will last I don't know - keep us posted.

As for your comments on pollen - let's put this myth to bed shall we? Unlike what some would have you believe - just because the bees are bringing pollen in, doesn't mean there's brood there, although in this case there may be.
It is absolute fantasy the fact that some insist on implying that if there's pollen going in there's definitely brood. It's not always the case - especially at this time of year bees will bring in any available pollen in readiness for serious spring brood rearing. If we extrapolate the belief that pollen=brood, shouldn't bees also stop collecting honey when the have the requisite 20KG of honey stores in the hive?
This year I had 20 plus colonies broodless but shovelling in the autumn pollen.
The only way to have a better idea is (unadvisedly) open up and check or just put in the inspection tray for a few days and see if there are any brood cappings there

 

[madasafish]

So , with a Vapouriser winging its way to me as we speak, I need to treat my hives. ( checked mite drop, need treating )

2.5g Acid vapourised in closed up hive for 9 minutes. You say
_________________

So I need to treat each 3 times , as I believe brood is still present looking externally at pollen flow.

Am I sounding like I have a proper plan ?

Yes.

But studies I have read suggest second week in December is best week for treatment - probably because not much if any brood present..
Be aware: I am NOT an expert and may be wrong!

 

[BrianO]

Thanks Guys , good advice

JB ok hear ya re the pollen , stacks up , given pollen and nectar they will keep bringing it in, they are hard wired to do so as long as conditions allow.

Although with a planned double of your apiary next year, how long yiur cheap fleabay bargain will last I don't know - keep us posted.

Ye of little faith ! Jeez how to put a damper on my new purchase !!

Looks , and they can be deceiving, like a well made bit of kit... We will see, and I will follow up to post either positively or negatively in its attributes... Or lack thereof !

 

[Erichalfbee]

Brian. I vaped my colonies FOUR times as I was still getting a significant drop. I did the last treatment four days, not five after the third.
Six weeks later there was still brood emerging...and mites ....and some DWV bees at the entrance so I did the round again.
I have brood in all the colonies still so they will get another vape at Christmas time.

 

[beebot]

It is, but the problem is that it doesn't, especially in sealed drone brood.

Interesting. Once again we are being sold a pup. Does it a least get a lot of them though.

 

[Arfermo]

One of my local BKAs where there is an RBI member, advises is that because of the unnaturally warm weather we have been having, some queens are still laying and therefore it is worth delaying sublimation etc until second week in January this year. In the many years that I have sublimated, only once have I done it more than once and usually between Xmas and New Year. This year is different.

 

[Cussword]

I did the same as Erica, although I will be doing it again mid-January.

 

[pargyle]

Interesting. Once again we are being sold a pup. Does it a least get a lot of them though.

There have been various issues with it since the day it was launched .. you only have to look at some of the comments on US forums about it to see a very mixed bag. When it works it seems to work very well but it looks to be extremely dependent upon how and when it is applied to the colonies.

I know a few beekeepers who think it's better than anything they have used in the past and have seen very good kill rates and healthy colonies as a result - and a few more who had queen problems and one who lost two good colonies after treatment.

The trouble is that we are often quick to blame the product but as often as not it's about how people use it .. the early instructions on the packs were not that clear either. Not seen any of the latest packs so I don't know if the instructions have improved. I can't say, definitively, that it's not a good product - just seems to me that the variable results don't give you a lot of confidence ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

By what I can see a lot of people are only putting half the recommended dose on to try and avoid some of the problems, so no wonder it only works half as well as it should?

 

[pargyle]

Thanks Guys , good advice

JB ok hear ya re the pollen , stacks up , given pollen and nectar they will keep bringing it in, they are hard wired to do so as long as conditions allow.


Ye of little faith ! Jeez how to put a damper on my new purchase !!

Looks , and they can be deceiving, like a well made bit of kit... We will see, and I will follow up to post either positively or negatively in its attributes... Or lack thereof !

It's virtually identical to the one that I made - and I based mine on one that Redwood had made .. works very well - just have to try it out to calibrate it (you will see how long it takes to heat up and the OA to evaporate if you test it in the open before putting it on your hives). Really, there's not much that can break - a solid piece of aluminium for the pan and what looks like a Vauxhall Glow Plug for the heating element. The connections look better than the ones I have on my home made one and the leads look pretty robust as well. For what you paid for it it looks a good deal ... my home made one works well .. the Varrox is a bit quicker to heat up and I think the OA sublimates a bit more thoroughly .. but this is only my perception of using them both ... they both work fine in the end.

 

[pargyle]

By what I can see a lot of people are only putting half the recommended dose on to try and avoid some of the problems, so no wonder it only works half as well as it should?

Exactly ... RTFM ... and then ignore it !!! No wonder it doesn't work well at times ... I think it's also very dependent upon temperature and the consistency of temperature .. It seems to work best when it's not too hot or too cold and the temperature remains fairly constant through the period of treatment.

Trouble is, beekeepers lie ... if it doesn't work the last thing they will tell you is that they cut it in half and pushed it in through the entrance !!!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Any advice on what battery to use and any place on web with a good deal ??

 

[pargyle]

Any advice on what battery to use and any place on web with a good deal ??

I'd have a look for a local car breaker .. mine sells perfectly usable (and tested) 12v car batteries for a tenner each ... will do the trick - if you keep it charged.

What you then need is a redundant shopping trolley like old folk have to do their shopping (you know, the ones that are like an overgrown shopping bag on wheels) .. there's always loads of them at the local recycling place .. platform on the bottom of it .. strap the battery to it and you can wheel it just about anywhere. Beats carrying it about ...

 

[madasafish]

Any advice on what battery to use and any place on web with a good deal ??

I got an excellent 12V calcium battery - 2 years old - £10 on Gumtree. Far less interest than ebay so cheaper.

Also try Preloved..

 

[drex]

From university of Sussex.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lasi/sussexplan/varroamites

Well in support of sublimation

 

[retired bill]

Has eny one tried a 12V PORTABLE CAR JUMP STARTER unit easy to carry and recharges in 12 hrs

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Has eny one tried a 12V PORTABLE CAR JUMP STARTER unit easy to carry and recharges in 12 hrs

I just use an old battery from my 4x4 - recharges in a couple of hours, does ten hives on the trot

 

[REDWOOD]

Scrap yards have plenty of "good enough" batteries for £10 - ish, before buying take the tops of if it's not the sealed type and rub it against a bit of paper, if the paper has a black residue leave it there, also make sure the levels are all the same as a low level on a cell can indicate that the plates inside are damaged.

 

[BrianO]

Vaping kills unsealed larvae and therefore better during broodless period.?

Problem is that no doubt there is brood in there now given the very mild November and abundance of Ivy forage. For a definitive broodless period we need 3 weeks of below 5 degrees.

Nowhere near that presently.

Again yesterday Bees extremely active foraging. Hoping for a good cold snap to allow broodlessness and thus effective vaping to get as many of the little Bastardos as pissible

 

[Erichalfbee]

Vaping kills unsealed larvae and therefore better during broodless period.?
I've never seen any dead larvae pulled out by the bees?