oxalic acid and glycerine mix

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Has anybody heard any more about this varroa treatment?

CVB
My coughing friend has found cardboard strips (cut up cereal packets) soaked in 50/50 oxalic/glycerine ~ 3 to a box depending on bee strength, has turned round an apiary struggling with varroa after an insufficient thymol autumn treatment last year. "He" hasn't got round to doing any more counts but the drone fork tells the tale, it's worked.
 
My coughing friend has found cardboard strips (cut up cereal packets) soaked in 50/50 oxalic/glycerine ~ 3 to a box depending on bee strength, has turned round an apiary struggling with varroa after an insufficient thymol autumn treatment last year. "He" hasn't got round to doing any more counts but the drone fork tells the tale, it's worked.

Did you ask said friend the size of these strips? Laid across the top bars?
 
Did you ask said friend the size of these strips? Laid across the top bars?

About an inch and a quarter wide and eight or nine inches long hanging down either side of a brood frame, put in on the outside of the brood nest in March so the bees munch them as the nest expands.
 
Extended-Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report
First published in: American Bee Journal, November 2018


I’ve now run four separate controlled field trials on OA/gly towels, under California conditions, in different yards, in two different years. In all four, I obtained at least 90% efficacy after 42-50 days, using formulations in the 1:1 range. I’m pretty excited about getting this application method approved.

Comparison to Oxalic Vaporization (Sublimation)

I was curious as to how the effect upon varroa from extended-release application of 18 g of oxalic acid in glycerin would compare to repeated oxalic acid applied by vaporization. In my springtime trial I had tested two models of vaporizers on one colony each, so I extended those repeated vaporizations through the summer trial. In all, I applied to those two hives a total of 9 treatments of 2 g of oxalic acid each (resulting in the same total of 18 g), at roughly 10-day intervals over a period of 102 days. I’ve plotted their mite wash counts below (Fig. 12)This photo illustrates the high rate of brood survival in the ProVap 110 colony 10 days after its 9th vapor treatment. My informal observations indicate that colonies can handle repeated or continual exposure to oxalic acid quite well.
The main pros of extended-release OA/gly are:

It has high efficacy even when brood is present (at least in California),
It appears to exhibit minimal or no adverse effects on the colony,
It can be applied while honey supers are on,
It can be used in hot weather,
It’s very easy and safe to apply,
It shouldn’t contaminate the beeswax,
It’s very inexpensive, and
It’s considered “organic.”

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/extended-release-oxalic-acid-progress-report-4/
 
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Extended-Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report
First published in: American Bee Journal, November 2018

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/extended-release-oxalic-acid-progress-report-4/

It looks like the OA/Gly extended release treatment is slow to knock down the initial mite infestation, but is effective in controlling mites over a longer term since treatment continues over several brood cycles. It appears that there may be value in combining an initial OA vape to wipe out the phoretic mites, then applying OA/Gly (perhaps waiting a few days first) to kill those that emerge over the next few brood cycles.
 
Meanwhile Oxybee which is now licensed is an oxalic acid glycerine mix with added sugar (plus "flavourings") is applied by the dribble method. How does it compare with the oxalic glycerine towels or with the traditional oxalic acid in sugar syrup dribble in terms of efficacy?
 
Meanwhile Oxybee which is now licensed is an oxalic acid glycerine mix with added sugar (plus "flavourings") is applied by the dribble method. How does it compare with the oxalic glycerine towels or with the traditional oxalic acid in sugar syrup dribble in terms of efficacy?

No good at all in comparison, as the towel method or better still the strips, (like the Aluen caps) are for prolonged treatment when there is brood present.
 
Meanwhile Oxybee which is now licensed is an oxalic acid glycerine mix with added sugar (plus "flavourings") is applied by the dribble method. How does it compare with the oxalic glycerine towels or with the traditional oxalic acid in sugar syrup dribble in terms of efficacy?

As said, no comparison with the shop towel method as used broodless. But compared to the standard trickle method, the glycerine is supposed to aid distribution by adherance to the bees. Cant remember if ive seen literature that proves it or if im just remembering the promotional blurb. Sounds sensible enough though.
 
It looks like the OA/Gly extended release treatment is slow to knock down the initial mite infestation, but is effective in controlling mites over a longer term since treatment continues over several brood cycles. It appears that there may be value in combining an initial OA vape to wipe out the phoretic mites, then applying OA/Gly (perhaps waiting a few days first) to kill those that emerge over the next few brood cycles.

Only if you already have a high mite load. To me this treatment would be used in place of Autumn mite treatments and applied mid to late june and so taking you into August/September virtually mite free.
Should be good for those of us rearing queens outside of the swarm season as its bound to improve drone health in those july/Aug/Sept. matings.
 
Did anyone stick with this after? Apivar was licensed here last year so forgot about it for a while here
 

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