Oxalic Acid Vaporising

[King Scavenger]

Hi my friends. I need some advice on when to treat my bees with Oxalic Acid via a vaporiser. I was going to do it today but the bees are busy. Should I leave it to later, when they are all in the hives or is ok now?

 

[domino]

Isn't the most effective when the bees are broadless?

 

[King Scavenger]

Thanks Domino I will filter my wine instead.

 

[rook66]

Hi my friends. I need some advice on when to treat my bees with Oxalic Acid via a vaporiser. I was going to do it today but the bees are busy. Should I leave it to later, when they are all in the hives or is ok now?

You can treat anytime but to be effective the colony needs to be broodless. It has been suggested here to treat every few days if brood is present(3 times) I tried this in the past with little success. Mites are emerging on young bees 24/7, I think for any treatment/s to be sucessful it needs to span a brood period minium. (Maqs excluded)

 

[Karsal]

Vapourising

Hi
I've just completed a 20 day oxalic acid vaporising of each of my three hives.
Each hive was vaporised at 5 day intervals. I left the bottom board in for 24 hours after each dose and then counted the mites.
First time 302 from one hive.
Second time 501
Third time 313
Fourth time 242
The other two hives showed a similar drop. Second third and fourth check on mite drop showed a lot of very light coloured mites only just hatched out I presume.
Will do another single vaporise in December.

 

[rook66]

Hi
I've just completed a 20 day oxalic acid vaporising of each of my three hives.
Each hive was vaporised at 5 day intervals. I left the bottom board in for 24 hours after each dose and then counted the mites.
First time 302 from one hive.
Second time 501
Third time 313
Fourth time 242
The other two hives showed a similar drop. Second third and fourth check on mite drop showed a lot of very light coloured mites only just hatched out I presume.
Will do another single vaporise in December.

I would consider the fourth count high, that is after three treatments. The light coloured mites are not fully mature and die shortly after emergence.

 

[King Scavenger]

Would it be better, then, to do 4 treatments at 6 day intervals to catch the mites through their gestation period?

 

[rook66]

Would it be better, then, to do 4 treatments at 6 day intervals to catch the mites through their gestation period?

Mites re enter brood cells after 5-11 days phoretic stage. Treating every six days??. A lot of them will escape the noose

 

[King Scavenger]

5 Days it is then!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

pointless waiting until they are broodless - by then the damage will have been done.
I'm assuming that vaping is the only treatment you are giving this autumn? if so get cracking ASAP, if they are anything like mine they have had a broodless period so most mites should be phoretic, if there are bees still flying it doesn't really matter - they will get a dusting of the oxalic micro crystals when they re-enter the hive. Follow HM's advice and do it every fifth day for three treatments. You may then get a batch of healthy winter bees.
Waiting until goodness knows when for a period of broodlessness will just mean that mites will have entered all the brood before capping and all bees will be compromised going into winter.

Too much time spent counting mites and not enough on killing them IMHO

 

[King Scavenger]

pointless waiting until they are broodless - by then the damage will have been done.
I'm assuming that vaping is the only treatment you are giving this autumn? Of so get cracking ASAP, if they are anythiung like mine they have had a broodless period so most mites should be phoretic if there are bees still flying it doesn't really matter - they will get a dusting of the oxalic micro crystals when they re-enter the hive. Follow HM's advice and do it every fifth day for three treatments. You may then get a batch of healthy winter bees.
Waiting until goodness knows when for a period of broodlessness will just mean that mites will have entered all the brood before capping and all bees will be compromised going into winter.

Too much time spent counting mites and not enough on killing them IMHO

Thank's my friends. I am now getting suited up with gas mask!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I sublimated my 5 hives this autumn.
These were done at five day intervals and I started on 7th September. Three had large drops and on Hivemaker's advice they had a fourth treatment fOUR days after the third. He also mentioned that if you have to do a fourth the drop is often the biggest then...though it wasn't for me.
I did all mine early in the morning before they were out. Worked a treat.
It's important to do your varroa treatment early enough to ensure you have healthy winter bees.
This is the first year I have sublimated the bees as the major autumn varroa treatment so I will do them again mid-winter mainly to see if I got most of the mites first time round. If I did then I will abandon routine winter interference in the future.

 

[King Scavenger]

I sublimated my 5 hives this autumn.
These were done at five day intervals and I started on 7th September. Three had large drops and on Hivemaker's advice they had a fourth treatment fOUR days after the third. He also mentioned that if you have to do a fourth the drop is often the biggest then...though it wasn't for me.
I did all mine early in the morning before they were out. Worked a treat.
It's important to do your varroa treatment early enough to ensure you have healthy winter bees.
This is the first year I have sublimated the bees as the major autumn varroa treatment so I will do them again mid-winter mainly to see if I got most of the mites first time round. If I did then I will abandon routine winter interference in the future.

Can I put feeders on while treating with my vaporiser?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yes

 

[King Scavenger]

yes

Many thanks