Mortality after Api-Bioxal

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Thimbles

New Bee
Joined
Sep 19, 2016
Messages
5
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Location
Suffolk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
I treated both my (National) hives with Api-Bioxal this winter just gone - this year, it came as a powder I had to make up myself into a sugar syrup solution.
I think it caused pretty massive mortality in my bees - in fact, I think I almost lost one hive to cold and mould, with a load of dead bees cluttering up the floor when I opened in spring.
Does anyone have any comments on that?
I use the ApiLifeVar wafers in autumn and a homeopathic mist and was aiming for an 'integrated' approach to varroa. But it feels like the Api-Bioxal might kill the mites but it also creates havoc among the poor old bees - especially since I am opening the hive in the cold and wetting them down with cold water.
Can I take the Api-Bioxal out of my 'integrated' approach?
 
I think the only thing you can be sure isn't going to harm anything is the homeopathic mist. I'd leave that one out - after all, it certainly won't be harming the mites.

API-Bioxal is an expensive version of oxalic acid - something beekeepers have been using for years. If used properly it is well tolerated and effective.

What was the evidence that your hives had low mite levels going into the winter? Was your summer treatment effective? If not, I'd bet the cost of a large packet of API-Bioxal that that was the problem.

The only damage Api-Bioxal is guaranteed to do is to your wallet.
 
I think the only thing you can be sure isn't going to harm anything is the homeopathic mist. I'd leave that one out - after all, it certainly won't be harming the mites.

I'd leave it out full stop. Why wet the bees unnecessarily?


API-Bioxal is an expensive version of oxalic acid - something beekeepers have been using for years. If used properly it is well tolerated and effective.

What was the evidence that your hives had low mite levels going into the winter? Was your summer treatment effective? If not, I'd bet the cost of a large packet of API-Bioxal that that was the problem.

The only damage Api-Bioxal is guaranteed to do is to your wallet.

Re the mould, I'd be looking for water ingress or excessive condensation, perhaps obstruction around the bottom of the hive by vegetation.
 
May just be coincidence as it was the last treatment.

If the hives died out soon after the oxalic treatment then I would ask how did you prepare it.

There has been talk in the past that the dribble method of oxalic can make a background nosema problem become a big nosema problem.
 
I gave up with Trickle & Treat in deepest midwinter some years ago after a similar scenario.

Yeghes da
 
Api-Bi is powder form, how did you get hold of ready mixed last year ? if this year you are surprised it is powder. was it mixed correctly.
have a lot less loss from Api- bioaxl than Apilife var wafers
would think if hive damp and moldy it not the treatment but a problem in the hive, to small a colony in the given space producing to little warmth combined with some poor ventilation / insulation
 
I treated both my (National) hives with Api-Bioxal this winter just gone - this year, it came as a powder I had to make up myself into a sugar syrup solution.
I think it caused pretty massive mortality in my bees - in fact, I think I almost lost one hive to cold and mould, with a load of dead bees cluttering up the floor when I opened in spring.
Does anyone have any comments on that?
I use the ApiLifeVar wafers in autumn and a homeopathic mist and was aiming for an 'integrated' approach to varroa. But it feels like the Api-Bioxal might kill the mites but it also creates havoc among the poor old bees - especially since I am opening the hive in the cold and wetting them down with cold water.
Can I take the Api-Bioxal out of my 'integrated' approach?

Hello Thimbles
I've vapped oxalic acid for several years with no loss of bees. You would need a power supply for a Varrox - as per another current thread on the beginners' forum.
 
Api-Bi is powder form, how did you get hold of ready mixed last year ? if this year you are surprised it is powder. was it mixed correctly.
have a lot less loss from Api- bioaxl than Apilife var wafers
would think if hive damp and moldy it not the treatment but a problem in the hive, to small a colony in the given space producing to little warmth combined with some poor ventilation / insulation

Did i miss the OP saying something about ready mixed AB last year? Following treatment with Apilife Var last Autumn the next treatment mentioned was Api Bioxal that came as a powder. We don't know if it was made up correctly but there was mention of applying cold water for some reason.
 
I treated both my (National) hives with Api-Bioxal this winter just gone - this year, it came as a powder I had to make up myself into a sugar syrup solution.
I think it caused pretty massive mortality in my bees - in fact, I think I almost lost one hive to cold and mould, with a load of dead bees cluttering up the floor when I opened in spring.
Does anyone have any comments on that?
I use the ApiLifeVar wafers in autumn and a homeopathic mist and was aiming for an 'integrated' approach to varroa. But it feels like the Api-Bioxal might kill the mites but it also creates havoc among the poor old bees - especially since I am opening the hive in the cold and wetting them down with cold water.
Can I take the Api-Bioxal out of my 'integrated' approach?

Trickling the bees should be done with warm water. If your autumn treatment is effective there is really no need to open the colony up in winter to treat them. A lot of us have found out that it's unnecessary and we know that because we monitor mite drops frequently and certainly after any treatment.That way you know whether the bees need to be treated with anything.
Have a look at vaporising the Oxalic instead. It is much gentler on the bees, can be repeated and a lot of beekeepers are now using it as the sole treatment.
I presume you tried fogging with mineral oil? It's not really supposed to have much of an effect at all.
As Tom has mentioned, an existing undercurrent of Nosema can be exacerbated by trickling Oxalic, and can cause just the scenario you describe.
It may, of course, be that you mixed it up correctly but I assume the directions on the packet are foolproof.
The mould/damp is caused by not having enough bees to cover the frames.
 

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