Oxalic Acid

[Finman]

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Making Oxalic Acid syrup, there is a tolerance in concentration. Italians use often 4% and Swiss 2,8% (I remember).

But however, the results are 10 years research work and many experienced beekeepers have calcuated results. It means thousands of dead mites, and of course to find those the rest living mites.

results are meant to old beekeeper puppets, which are not gun powder inventors. Still their hives are alive. Then comes super guys who can calculate all kind of things with 4 decimals and say: do nothing, be afraid of everything.

Many in Finland are afraid of OA and do not use it. So much over advertiasing like rubber gloves, mask, it goes into blood (how), you eate it by accident...

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[Red Bee]

Ok I've bought my oxalic acid. It's ready made stuff at 6%. Now I read that this maybe to strong a concentration & the norm is 3. Something. What I really want to know is, have I bought the wrong oxalic acid?

 

[Finman]

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Make 1:1 syrup, mix equal volume syrup and byed OA-mixture and you get 3% stuff. That is very good to use.

40 ml for 1 box hive and 50 ml for 2-box hive.

 

[Red Bee]

Thank you Finman i'll try that out.

 

[jezd]

Thank you Finman i'll try that out.

the other important point I took about trickling is dont apply it cold, I think it needs to be warmish (around 15'c) ... anyone got a comment on this point?

 

[VEG]

I have also been told to make sure it is slightly warm before using.

 

[Red Bee]

What do you personally do Craig? Do you use oxalic acid?

 

[Norton]

Yes it needs to be warm
Best regards
Norton.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Yes it needs to be warm
Best regards
Norton.

What temperature is warm?

 

[Finman]

What temperature is warm?

try with finger. It is not so difficult.

 

[VEG]

I use oxalic but use it at room temp. Few days before I use it I bring it into the house leave it warm up. I dont like putting cold oxalic on the bees as normally the time of year it is used the out side temp is cold enough and putting very cold (keep mine in a drawer in garage) oxalic on the bees will cause them stress IMO.

 

[victor meldrew]

A wide mouthed soup flask will keep O.A.mix warm for as long as it takes to apply .

John Wilkinson

 

[VEG]

lol make sure you rinse the flask out after

 

[Finman]

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But surely, the heat of syrup is not the most important affair.

Cold syrup will be stiffy. When we dripple near freezing point temperature, it makes the syrup cold.

When you dribble the syrup, it takes 2 minutes and the temp in beehive will be 30-40C, but of course, no reason to dripple ice cold syrup into cluster.

I have not taken special care of cold/warm issue.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

try with finger. It is not so difficult.

Not very helpful!

Firstly advising to put finger in and secondly warm is a personal opinion.

Room temperature, so about 20 deg C?

 

[victor meldrew]

Not very helpful!

Firstly advising to put finger in and secondly warm is a personal opinion.

Room temperature, so about 20 deg C?

A humour transplant would help you Jim

John Wilkinson

 

[oliver90owner]

The cluster will probably have a middle 20s at the centre if there is no brood at all, middle 30s if there is brood. The bottom outside of the cluster will be a little over 8 (or bees will fall away and die - or die and fall away). Top of cluster will be warmer than the bottom due to convection to an extent. So how about 20 degrees so as not to thermal shock the bees? Plus or minus 5 might be a reasonable tolerance, so preferably on the warm side as it will only get coolerer as it is used? I would say on 20.273 degrees Celsius (or 293.423 K) should be fine.

Regards, RAB

 

[Finman]

Not very helpful!

Firstly advising to put finger in and secondly warm is a personal opinion.

Room temperature, so about 20 deg C?

We prefer 23C temperature.

What I have measured, cluster's indiside temp without brood is 23C. Brooding cluster is 32C.
I just put digital thermometer inside via upper encrance. Highest temp what I have measured from cluster is 42C.

 

[Onge]

Rubbish more like 23.0384857 C

you guys are so slapdash, tut tut (Joke) just incase )

 

[Finman]

Rubbish more like 23.0384857 C

)

I have tried that once but I did not like it. I forget first numbers before I am in the end.

Mostly I remember best the last numbers and they are quite hot figures like 57C or 87C.