Icing sugar treatment.

[Marco666]

Hi again,
Yesterday I did the icing sugar treatment but I'm not sure if I've used the right icing sugar. I've used the only one they had is Sainsbury's one with tricalcium phosphate. Is it ok or should I use something different and where would I find it?
Thank you very much.
Marco.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi again,
Yesterday I did the icing sugar treatment but I'm not sure if I've used the right icing sugar. I've used the only one they had is Sainsbury's one with tricalcium phosphate. Is it ok or should I use something different and where would I find it?
Thank you very much.
Marco.

Were you icing the bees for varroa?
If you were it has little effect so it probably matters little what brand you used.

 

[B+.]

Were you icing the bees for varroa?
If you were it has little effect so it probably matters little what brand you used.

Tricalcuim phospase is an anti-caking agent which allows the icing sugar to flow. Corn starch can be used as an alternative.

 

[mintmoth]

I thought bees had "sticky" feet (how else can they climb vertical surfaces?) So doesn't icing sugar coat their feet and make them lose their grip?

 

[Finman]

.
If you look latest researshes, icing sugar's efficacy is poor. Not worth to do.

 

[Arfermo]

A Sussex BKA bird in Sept BBKA news (page 309) seems to use nothing else for varroa. Wouldn't use it myself - waste of good sugar doing almost no good in my experience.

 

[For want of a better word]

Oxallic Acid anhydride has also been used as an anti caking agent in icing sugar......

Yeghes da

 

[Marco666]

Thank you everyone

Thank you everyone!
Appreciated!

 

[Heather]

Yep, don't really go down that road myself. Inspect the tray under the OMF and if no varroa (or minimum) then wait till December and treat with Oxalic.