NBU advice on oxalic has changed

[MuswellMetro]

The NBU Varroa leaflet no longer tells you how to make up oxalic acid but only use a cascade from the EU....so you lot applying home made oxlice ( that includes me) are now breaking the law

Oxalic acid
At time of writing there is not a commercially prepared treatment
containing oxalic acid approved for use in the UK. Oxalic acid is
an ‘Annex II’ substance which can be prescribed when
approved products are not effective or suitable and is applied by
trickling, spraying or sublimation. It removes phoretic mites for
up to about 48 hours, which means that it is very effective if no
or little brood is present but ineffective in the presence of
significant quantities of brood.
It is safest and most practical to obtain a proprietary, pre-mixed
and ready to use solution of oxalic acid from a bee supply
company. ‘OXUVAR®’ is available, which is approved for use in
at least one EU Country. (Check the VMD website to check its
current status in the UK http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/
public/bee.aspx) It is used in late November, December or
January when there is little or no brood. The crown board is
removed and 5 milliliters of the solution is dribbled on to each
seam of bees in the cluster using a calibrated syringe or drench
gun. It is only used once in the winter and is best carried out
with the outside temperature greater than 3°C. This treatment
cleanses the colony of the majority of the remaining Varroa
mites so that it will probably require no further controls until

 

[Finman]

.
It is safest and most practical to obtain a proprietary, pre-mixed
and ready to use solution of oxalic acid from a bee supply
company. ‘OXUVAR®’ is available, which is approved for use in
at least one EU Country.


This is harsh business.

We use to say rancid business. It really stinks.

Bye oxalic acid mixture to 10 hives. Only 36 pounds!!! SALE 24 NOW!!!


But I think that you have too much hives in UK.
If it reveals out that some one have made his own oxalic acid, all hives will be burned and the tools of crime will taken to governement like your kitchen, store houses and cars.

.




.

 

[oliver90owner]

It is safest and most practical to obtain a proprietary, pre-mixed
and ready to use solution

I agree with Finman.

Maybe it should say 'safest or most practical' for 'most people'. Unfortunately, for the proprietry lot, it is neither true for the former or latter in my case. I am both competant/safe and practical making up my own, thank you very much.

Of course, I would pay the vet for oxalic acid, but only when my supply (bought some time back, earlier in the century) is exhausted.

 

[Easy Beesy]

I think it's sound advice from a body that has no enforcement capabilities. It does not outlaw the use of home mixed but for the number of new beekeepers it probably is safer, easier and practical to buy ready to use. Just look at the number of threads on here about making up OxA to see the reason behind their advice.

 

[For want of a better word]

Load of Rhubarb!​

that is if you care to make your own OA !


​

 

[MuswellMetro]

.
It is safest and most practical to obtain a proprietary, pre-mixed
and ready to use solution of oxalic acid from a bee supply
company. ‘OXUVAR®’ is available, which is approved for use in
at least one EU Country.


This is harsh business.

We use to say rancid business. It really stinks.

Bye oxalic acid mixture to 10 hives. Only 36 pounds!!! SALE 24 NOW!!!


But I think that you have too much hives in UK.
If it reveals out that some one have made his own oxalic acid, all hives will be burned and the tools of crime will taken to governement like your kitchen, store houses and cars.

.




.

Finman...i have enough oxalic di hydrate (5kg Medical grade) in my cupboard to last me to my death as i only treat 15 hives....and use less than 75g a year

This is the NBU protecting its rear end....but i might kick it ,if i every went to their offices in York

Rather than give correct advice to beekeepers that no one stocks the NEW EU PRODUCT in the UK and then give the 75g in 1L +1KG sugar recipe....they hide behind the EU regs....

and You FINMAN like us are funding their work as all our EU bee grant goes to the NBU at york not UK beekeepers

if it really gets too much and they start checking up then i would buy one SMALL packet of the APPROVED product and show it to the bee inspector...saying to him .i use this...but then make up my own mixture

 

[Luminos]

T'ornes Trickle 2 4 me

 

[mbc]

Its a nonsense, obviously some lawyer has been at the wording, maybe someone with half an ounce of common sense should have told them to take it all with a grain of salt. The NBU loses more credibility by folding to this dog toffee.

 

[Finman]

as i only treat 15 hives

Seriously we have the same regulations as you have there, what mean bee medicine.

But no one take that seriously here.
We have here much beekeepers who play with that card "don't use toxic oxalic". They are so natural, so natural.

 

[Erichalfbee]

T'ornes Trickle 2 4 me

I use the bottles and my own mix

 

[Finman]

I use the bottles and my own mix

Lets meet in prison!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Seriously we have the same regulations as you have there, what mean bee medicine.

But no one take that seriously here.
We have here much beekeepers who play with that card "don't use toxic oxalic". They are so natural, so natural.

it has been suggested to me that we make a formal information request to the government under the "freedom of information Act of parliament"....and find out what the NBU use in their apiary...personally i doubt they use oxuvar or that there is any boxes of Oxuvar in the UK


but it is not worth the postage stamp

 

[Finman]

it has been suggested to me that we make a formal information request to the government under the "freedom of information Act of parliament"....and find out what the NBU use in their apiary...personally i doubt they use oxuvar or that there is any boxes of Oxuvar in the UK


but it is not worth the postage stamp

Take a photo from Oxyvar bottle label, then print it and glue on own bottle.
Your inspector will be happy.

 

[MuswellMetro]

...with the usual mark up by a British veterinary surgery and postage then it would triple any European price...so €15 for 500ml for a box of Oxuvar for 10 hives will become £60...and they there is the first vet consultation

though if we all put in one penny each we could buy one box and just put the same batch number and use buy date on the Vetinary Medicine Directorate record..and say so sorry, i lost the invoice

hmmmm I wonder how many boxes of Oxuval DrStitson can get in his easy jet Cabin luggage next time he goes to Italy...

 

[Hombre]

I like to bleach the frames, I ask the bees to help me each winter. I don't have time to be giving medicine with all that late December wood cleaning to do.