Is it ok to oxalic treat today?

[CliffDale]

9am, it is frosty outside. I expect the temperature will get to around +3 noon ish.

If I'm quick, will it be ok to treat the bees or should I wait for a warmer day?
Cliff

 

[Finman]

.
Here temp is -3C. I go out now and trickle rest of my hives.

Clusters have rised up now. It is easy to trickle them.

I have 60 cm snow in garden. I use fishing boots to walk in snow.

February use to be the coldest month of the year.

 

[Heather]

I would wait till afternoon when slightly warmer air- but as Finman says Cold not a problem.
Just have tepid syrup and you can trickle within a 30 second timescale, so hive closed up again quickly minimising warmth loss..
Practice with syringe and water in sink if you are using syringe for first time. Helps to regulate flow evenly.

 

[Hombre]

I used a trigger spray that can deliver a jet. A quick test showed me that each trigger pull delivered a nominal 1ml, so five pulls is good for a seam and the bottle is good for a dozen colonies or so, taking about 500ml of the mixture.

Cost is minimal when compared to a more refined convenient 1 pull per 5ml commercial system, such as those sold by the usual suppliers at significant cost.

At a stretch you could always recycle the spray bottle that contained the bath cleaner, with a good wash out. Did I hear screams of sacrilege off stage left?

 

[Arfermo]

9am, it is frosty outside. I expect the temperature will get to around +3 noon ish.

If I'm quick, will it be ok to treat the bees or should I wait for a warmer day?
Cliff

Don't wait - essential to do it whatever the temp this late in January but be speedy about it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Cost is minimal when compared to a more refined convenient 1 pull per 5ml commercial system, such as those sold by the usual suppliers at significant cost.

Hombre, you could most likely obtain one of the ajustable auto injectors for nothing if you know a freindly local farmer,they come with the various medications for cattle and sheep.

 

[Hombre]

Thanks for the info Hivemaker, not many farmers in HedgerowPete country, but people know people as they say.

Maybe an upgrade for my next winter OA treatments.

 

[Silly Bee]

Depends whereabouts you are.

I have an invitation to put hives on a farmers plot.

 

[Hombre]

I am in Rowley Regis, but most of my bees are somewhere to the west of Bromsgrove in a garden orchard and a field, grazed by sheep and populated by moles, owned by a friend - the field that is, not the sheep or the moles. They are variously expedient and occasional lodgers.

 

[drstitson]

i thought trickle was chosen above spray (as originally used) as it caused less disruption to the bees.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Cost is minimal when compared to a more refined convenient 1 pull per 5ml commercial system, such as those sold by the usual suppliers at significant cost.

The "usual suppliers" sell 100ml dummy containers for squirting out a measured 5ml for 79p. Enough for two hives so inexpensive and convenient for a small number.

 

[Hombre]

i thought trickle was chosen above spray (as originally used) as it caused less disruption to the bees.

Spray bottle, squirt action, not spray. The usual suspects charge postage. A bit of improvisation saved messing around refilling a trickle2 bottle in the field.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Spray bottle, squirt action, not spray. The usual suspects charge postage. A bit of improvisation saved messing around refilling a trickle2 bottle in the field.

Quite agree Hombre - hense the comment it was suitable for only a small number of hives (and I'm lucky enough to travel quite close to Usual Suspect HQ from time to time to nullify postage for such things). Now got 2xTrickle2 containers which will do me nicely for next winter if I decide to make up my own mixture.