Oxalic Acid

[Hombre]

And I haven't got to F's yet.

Sounds off stage left of O90o sharpening keyboard and wit in preparation for another ill advised confrontation with/mauling from a member of the tender gender?

I'll buy my OA made up and use as directed, probably in the period after Christmas and around New Year when it's been crisp over night, and the day is sunny and calm.
Varroa count is indicative of what's fallen and not what's on the bees.

The subject got done to death last comprehensively last year. I feel that before getting excited, that the recommendation is to read the stickies that cover the subject first.

If Jezd could harness the OA subject hot air for his bees on another thread it would be for him priceless.

<<Hows that? Freudian slip>>

 

[Frisbee]

I didn't say that Hombre.........it was the joker on the high horse............

Frisbee

 

[Hombre]

I didn't say that Hombre.........it was the joker on the high horse............
Frisbee

So right, I have now corrected it. I was thinking of other things at the time.
Not helped by the response being a bit slow here for a while. After midnight until about 00.25. Maybe online backup was/is the reason. I did notice a very slow site a few minutes before, so I'm becoming a little introspective and will run a few comparison checks elsewhere.

Busy finishing an email to a friend.

 

[Frisbee]

I'm quite looking forward to the F's actually

Along with others no doubt.

Frisbee

 

[Hombre]

It's all to do with magnetism. It can't help but attract the spurs!

Weighting, wit, abated, broth.
If it was good for Edward Lear, then it's good enough for me!
It's all in the highlited text!

 

[jezd]

If Jezd could harness the OA subject hot air for his bees on another thread it would be for him priceless.

so so true, made me smile

 

[FenBee]

Thanks for the advise everyone

I shall too shall be treating with Oxalic Acid, like Hombre says when the weather has been crisp and it is a fine day. But, now I think I shall use Heather's recipe.

By the way I do not need to cross the road to reach my bees, they are in an out apiary, so I normally go by 1000cc motorcycle, providing there is no black ice

 

[Heather]

1000cc bike- I can come and help you trickle For varroa, I mean...

 

[Poly Hive]

Varroa count is indicative of what's fallen and not what's on the bees


Oh? So where did they come from and if there are but a few then surely there are but a few around, and if a lot then........

Seems pretty indicative to me. Not to mention all the researchers.

PH

 

[Repwoc]

1pint water to 1 lb sugar-so 1:1

With US pints that's 1:1, but with our imperial pints it's 1.25:1 ie a bit more dilute than 1:1.

p

 

[Hombre]

I have to agree with Repwoc on this that your 1:1 sugar:water solution at 1lb sugar to 1 pint water is good for the US where a pint is 16 fl oz, but here it is most definitely 20 fl oz to the pint.
It may not be particularly significant when making up syrup as a feed, but as Dave Cushman points out, when making up OA solutions, constituents should be measured carefully.

Also, I note that there are possibly different grades of OA crystals available, depending on purchase source, with a Technical grade being stronger. I have no first hand experience here, perhaps the Chemists amongst the membership can clarify that for me. Best to buy from a regular bee keeping source where the grade on offer is likely to be consistently the same.

Ruary on another forum went into this at great length last winter.

Meanwhile, Finman is lapping all this up and laughing his head off, big time.

 

[BKF Admin]

Your right Hombre,I can just see Finman choking on his Elkburger.
I think we do exasperate him at times.

 

[Heather]

I was going with, have used, and not damaged- using British Imperial measure of 20oz of water to 16oz sugar.
As recommended by the Swiss bee Research Centre for central Europe. http://www.beedata.com/files/drip-oxalic-bogdanov.PDF
All I can say - with that solution bees lived- varroa didnt.

 

[Finman]

.
Yeah. A couple of years more and you will learn how to use oxalic acid. You have so much "home made masters" like Ruary. And you blame your special weather. And don't forget the law. In what country, it is not important.

Jokes are too few in these days.

 

[Finman]

I was going with, have used, and not damaged- using British Imperial measure of 20oz of water to 16oz sugar.
As recommended by the Swiss bee Research Centre for central Europe. http://www.beedata.com/files/drip-oxalic-bogdanov.PDF
All I can say - with that solution bees lived- varroa didnt.

This have done in very early days of trickling. Trickling started in Europe about 1998.

If you look for new information put n google Nanetti varroa control 2009

This is last modified Sept. 2009
http://www.orgprints.org/7582/




.

 

[MJBee]

A good paper Finman - clear & concise.

Heather I agree with you too: if the mix works why change to another which may not.
Mike

 

[Repwoc]

I was going with, have used, and not damaged- using British Imperial measure of 20oz of water to 16oz sugar.
As recommended by the Swiss bee Research Centre for central Europe. http://www.beedata.com/files/drip-oxalic-bogdanov.PDF
All I can say - with that solution bees lived- varroa didnt.

Sorry Heather it was just the scientific pedant in me that noticed you had stated your syrup concentration in two ways that didn't equate with each other.

Thanks for the link - interesting paper. The Swiss authors did recommend a 1:1 sugar:water syrup by weight. They concluded that "a lower sugar content increases bee tollerance but diminishes efficiency", although elsewhere in the paper they said "the difference (in efficiency) is not significant". So your use of a sub 1:1 syrup concentration probably doesn't matter.

Obviously if it works for you that is the main thing so stick with it!

Paul

 

[Repwoc]

Also, I note that there are possibly different grades of OA crystals available, depending on purchase source, with a Technical grade being stronger.

Oxalic Acid Dihydrate (COOH)2.2H2O (the first and third 2s should be subscripted but I can't make it happen - HTML is off) contains 2 molecules of water per molecule of OA. This is often called 'water of crystalisation'. Anhydrous OA contains no water and therefore weight for weight the anhydrous substance contains more OA.

Once dissolved in water both are chemically the same, but you will need more of the dihydrate for a given strength of solution.

Commonly it will be the dihydrate that is available.

The grade is the purity of the product, eg technical (or industrial) grade is usually ~99%min, food grade is 99-100%.

Paul

 

[Hombre]

Apologies if I upset you Heather, not intended, it was just the pedant in me, and not even a scientific one at that. Thanks also to Repwoc for the OA Dihydrate/Anhydrous and Technical/Food quality clarifications
Also to Admin for his understanding and Finman for his ubiquitous humour.

 

[Heather]

Hombre- no problems - only upset by rudeness - when not near enough to slap! All entitled to own opinion - especially Finman.