oxalic acid

[punky3612]

Is possible to treat a new install with oxalic treatment ? I'm setting up two hives in a area that has not had honey bee colony before hoping eliminate the varroa before they get a chance to stay . do you think this is to risky ?

 

[pipewrench36]

Is possible to treat a new install with oxalic treatment ? I'm setting up two hives in a area that has not had honey bee colony before hoping eliminate the varroa before they get a chance to stay . do you think this is to risky ?

Working on the theory of, "If it aint broke don't fix it", I would not treat with OA at this time of year. If you are wanting to extract honey this season, it will be tainted. I would wait until after the honey flow and then assess the mite count, and then treat if required. IMHO.

 

[Leigh]

I've never heard of honey being tainted by oxalic acid treatment. Oxalic acid is naturally present in honey, and treatment using the acid had little or no increase in this amount. (http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=14942975). Fume based treatments like thymol do taint honey, which is why you do it with supers off.

However, the only reason I'd use oxalic acid at this time of year would be to treat a new swarm with no sealed brood - the varroa will be on the bees rather than the brood, so treatment gives a very good knockdown, similar/better than the treatment given for the same reasons in the depths of winter.

 

[Ruary]

colony before hoping eliminate the varroa before they get a chance to stay . do you think this is to risky ?

I think this is a vain hope.
Ruary

 

[Heather]

I have treated my 3 swarms collected (only one from mine and I think that has a varroa problem- brood and a half and I think didn't get a thorough treatment last winter) with Oxalic acid and the other 2 were feral and I am very interested to see what their drop is in comparison.
I do know that one of the feral swarms is from a huge tree where they have been permanently in situ for 5 years.
Checking later today so will report back.

You will never eliminate but hopefully knock a high % off

 

[For want of a better word]

if you are not into OA sublimated or otherwise. you could always dust with nice dry pure icing sugar?

 

[Heather]

Of course you can, but you wont shift quite the same numbers of varroa...and I grab the opportunity of no brood to damage the varroa beyond repair... and the bees- ...they are fine-not one died

 

[Arfermo]

Is possible to treat a new install with oxalic treatment ? I'm setting up two hives in a area that has not had honey bee colony before hoping eliminate the varroa before they get a chance to stay . do you think this is to risky ?

So long as there is nmo sealed or unsealed brood then oxalic treatment is quite possible. Best to verify varroa level as soon as possible and then following the guidance in the DEFRA leaflet "Managing Varroa" (available in pdf format from their website) make your decision. Oxalic is in many veggies etc that one eats in the normal course of events eg rhubard for one and honey too to a degree, treatment of hives is not likely to affect honey unduly.

 

[Midland Beek]

You can spray with weak oxalic acid but the technique of oxalic acid trickling in sugar syrup is for winter and when bees are clustering. Develop a new technique and there are always those who will 'abuse' it.

 

[punky3612]

To bee or not to bee

Thanks for the reply's, The apiary is in state of Maine, USA . The apple blossoms have not opened yet and temps are around 50 to 55 degrees f should this be a factor in treatment or no treatment with oxalic ?