is it to cold for oxalic acid treatment

[keith pierce]

is it too cold to treat with oxalic when the bees are in a tight cluster or should we wait for a warmer day when the cluster has losened up a bit.

 

[drstitson]

see other threads on topic.

should treat when well clustered.

other countries with harsher winters than ours manage fine.

 

[johnandyrob]

I asked a similar question yesterday the consensus was that if you wait too long their will be brood present diminishing the effectiveness of the treatment and that people in Finland and other countries with colder climates than ours treat. I treated yesterday at just over freezing Regards Andrew

 

[keith pierce]

thanks.. just made up the treatment.. on the way down to treat them now. i always treated them first week of january, but another beekeeper told me it was wrong to treat when they are in tight cold weather cluster.

 

[Finman]

.
About -2C - +2C are good temperatures. The wind means much.

In higher temps bees jump up ans start to flye onto ground and die.

In colder you fingers don't like the idea.

After two months we are going to get +/-0C temps, and I continue trickling.

 

[Finman]

but another beekeeper told me it was wrong to treat when they are in tight cold weather cluster.

So they do when it is cold. It works fine. The cluster wakes up very guickly when you open the clover and soon they fill the box.

 

[Sabrina]

I treated mine mid December and the cluster was quite tight. But I'm a newbie and I'm just hoping it did the trick!!

They didn't really move much, so I guess the worry is that not all of them got dribbled on.

 

[Heather]

They spread it as they move and groom. Not too cold - go for it. The hive is only open for about 20 seconds if you have all prepared. Ensure the syrup slightly warm.

 

[keith pierce]

treated mine this evening and scraped clean any inserts that i have under the open mesh floors.
how soon would you see a mite fall and for how long

 

[Finman]

how soon would you see a mite fall and for how long

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8208

 

[keith pierce]

thanks finman

 

[Hivemaker.]

And the next instalment will be 1001 recipes, of how to use up your left over oxalic acid mixtures, by marguerite patten and heston blumenthal.

 

[drstitson]

oxalic

i'm sure marguerite patten probably came up with an austerity faux greek dish using rhubarb leaves (in place of vine leaves) to celebrate the marriage of phil the greek to princess liz.