OA 6% in distilled water,30%sugar + water

[dickndoris]

Preparing to do OA in the near future and need a little advice please?
I have spoken to Paynes ref this and they say its fine but it would be nice to get a second opinion....

Oxalic acid 6% solution in distilled water, 30% sugar,water up to 1litre. Its pre mixed and from Italy Enologia Apicoltura.

Question. Is this ok as the strength seems high at 6%. I was going to use it at no more than 5ml per large seam and 3ml on a small seam in a drizzle fasion with syringe. Paynes state that it is a higher strength as its in distilled water and who am I to argue. Any thoughts please? Dont want to poison them through not asking.
Cheers
Rich

 

[Winker]

Preparing to do OA in the near future and need a little advice please?
I have spoken to Paynes ref this and they say its fine but it would be nice to get a second opinion....

Oxalic acid 6% solution in distilled water, 30% sugar,water up to 1litre. Its pre mixed and from Italy Enologia Apicoltura.

Question. Is this ok as the strength seems high at 6%. I was going to use it at no more than 5ml per large seam and 3ml on a small seam in a drizzle fasion with syringe. Paynes state that it is a higher strength as its in distilled water and who am I to argue. Any thoughts please? Dont want to poison them through not asking.
Cheers
Rich

See this tread

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20

 

[RoofTops]

The 6% is for southern Europe - the advised strength for the UK is 3.2% which you can make up using 75g oxalic acid dihydrate (which is what you will buy), 1 litre of water and 1kg of white sugar.

This will make much more than you need but making smaller quantities is difficult unless you have very accurate scales.

The "distilled water" comment by Paynes is nonsense. Ideally you probably should use distilled water but it will make no difference to the strength.

 

[drstitson]

"The "distilled water" comment by Paynes is nonsense. Ideally you probably should use distilled water but it will make no difference to the strength"

Rooftops - the OP said it was a premixed solution so the ingredients list will be correct.

 

[For want of a better word]

Dose one boil the solution in the vaporiser... or am I missing something?

​

 

[Suzi Q]

See this tread

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20

Hi, just read the above thread. It seems to me the essential thing is to treat only if the hive is broodless, (85% mites in brood, 15% only on bees). My question is if I follow the standard advice of the forum ie. omf, crownboard holes covered, and insulation in the roof space how do I know the hive will be broodless? Aren't those conditions ideal for encouraging the queen to continue to lay? This is my first attempt at getting bees through winter, my natural mite drop has risen from 5 to 10 aday in the past six weeks, so will use oxalic acid, but I think I should maybe not insulate and provide some top ventilation to encourage the queen to stop laying, until after oxalic.

 

[For want of a better word]

so will use oxalic acid, but I think I should maybe not insulate and provide some top ventilation to encourage the queen to stop laying, until after oxalic.

IMO NO

 

[Suzi Q]

so will use oxalic acid, but I think I should maybe not insulate and provide some top ventilation to encourage the queen to stop laying, until after oxalic.

IMO NO

The first bit or the last! That I should not use oxalic? Or that I should not take out insulation to encourage broodlessness?

 

[Swarm]

The last bit.

 

[alanf]

Preparing to do OA in the near future and need a little advice please?
I have spoken to Paynes ref this and they say its fine but it would be nice to get a second opinion....

Oxalic acid 6% solution in distilled water, 30% sugar,water up to 1litre. Its pre mixed and from Italy Enologia Apicoltura.

Question. Is this ok as the strength seems high at 6%. I was going to use it at no more than 5ml per large seam and 3ml on a small seam in a drizzle fasion with syringe. Paynes state that it is a higher strength as its in distilled water and who am I to argue. Any thoughts please? Dont want to poison them through not asking.
Cheers
Rich

It does appear to be higher percentage than other suppliers have, even from the same source. Wynne Jones has 4.5% solution from the same Italian supplier. The percentage is visible on the label illustration, but the label is white. Thornes quote 3.2% for their own labelled solution in the trickle bottles

If they quote 'as its in distilled water', that is misleading on Payne's part. Any commercial solution will be in distilled water but the percentage is going to be the same whether the water is distilled, tap or rain.

 

[drstitson]

"Paynes state that it is a higher strength as its in distilled water"

if the idea is to add your own sugar to the solution then that'd be correct wouldn't it?

 

[BeeJayBee]

- the OP said it was a premixed solution so the ingredients list will be correct.

The ingredients list might be correct, but if you're meant to use a (3.7% = wrong) 3.2% (thanks Hivemaker) solution here in UK then it's too strong and needs further dilution.

Water is water, unlike alcoholic drinks it doesn't become 'stronger' when it's distilled!

 

[Hivemaker.]

but if you're meant to use a 3.7% solution here in UK

Usually 3.2%

 

[For want of a better word]

Usually 3.2%

What strength do you use HM ?

I will be using pure dihydrate OA in the vaporiser.... surely I do not need to add sugar to it?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Usually 3.2%

Thanks - corrected

 

[MuswellMetro]

Defra recomended and Rothamsteds 3.2% OA can be made either as rooftop says by

1) dissolve 75gms of Oxalic dihydrate in one litre of water with one kilo of sugar

or


2) dissolve 45gms of Oxalic Dihydrate in one litre of prepared 1:1 metric syrup


both make 3.2% in a 50% sugar solution. The weight of OA to volume liquids so same dose per 5mls

if you want the solution 30% then make up a 30% solution and take a litre and add 45gms of Oxalic Hydrate

i have seen so many different and confusion labels on imported OA i make mine to DEFRA/Rothamsted formulae

 

[Finman]

.
Lets take that solution 100g

it has ,................6 g OA
30% sugar ........30 g
water ..................64 g


what we have to ad that we get to 3 hive 3,5% OA stuff

6 g oa / total x = 3,5%. total x = 170 g

then we add into content above 34 g sugar that water : sugar is 1:1

then there are missing 20 g sugar and 20 g water

lets try again

..........OA 6 g in 100 g solution

water 64............add 20 g = ...........84
sugar ....30 ..........add 34+20 = .....84

together 170g

6/170 = 3.5%


compare recipe ....200 g 1:1 syrup + 7,5 g OA

.......7,5 g/ 208g = 3,5%

.

 

[dickndoris]

Thanks all for your input. I live n learn! In the bin it goes or maybe down the loo. I will nip out get some crystals and brew my own then at least I know it will be right. I wonder how many more people have the 6% proof stuff and are about to maybe fry their bees?!?!?!? I feel a phone call coming on............

Rich

 

[Red Bee]

Here we go again lol

Oxalic season!!!

 

[Finman]

.


Can't you make smaller amount of trickling stuff

for 3 two box hives or 5 one box hives

100 g water
100 g sugar
...7.5 g Oxalic acid

together 208 g

....7,5/208 = 3.6%

(it is not 3.2%)