Oxalic or no oxalic?

[RoofTops]

The problem with a super is knowing where the bees are. If they are in the super then leave it in place and treat from the top. You may have to shine a torch down to find out where the bees are. The same applies with double brood boxes although in this case it is much harder, as they are deeper, to know where the bees are. I've split a double brood before and found the bees in both boxes and they were mightly unimpressed by the disturbance to there post-Christmas slumbers. I now always trickle OA from the top on double brood which is I understand standard practice although I had to learn the lesson myself!

 

[Skyhook]

.
Oxalic acid is not worth of religion. I use only OA but is seems that itis not enough.

Do I understand correctly that OA is your only treatment? If so, I think you are in a slightly different position to a lot of (is there a finnish terms for british people? I was going to say limeys). The norm here is for autumn treatment, which in my case seems to have been (finally) effective. I suppose my question is, how important it is to carry out 2 main treatments 3 months apart, if the first had a good result.

I would imagine OA might be most important for beeks who take their bees to the heather, which could make it hard to time an autumn treatment.

 

[essex paul]

Hi Keith,
your dilemma reminds me of when i first started out in beekeeping, i was speaking to an (experienced)beekeeper at the kent beekeeper association apiary. He had over 50 hives and informed me not to listen to all that old rubish about open mesh floors. He didn't need them 20 years ago why does he need them now. I however did listen to that old rubbish and all my bees are on open mesh floors. Unfortunetly experience can sometimes means set in their ways, i tell all my beginners that appi guard treatment in the summer at the end of the flow combined with oxalic acid in mid december has had excellent results for me. I have not lost a hive in the winter in the last 5 years, i buy my oxalic acid already mixed and i use a 5m automatic drentcher. It takes less than 40 seconds to treat a hive if you have a helper, the drentcher is available from n j phillips, this can be bought for under a tenner from farming supplies. When i relate the importance of treatment to beginners i always compere it with the treatment of headlice in school children. 99% of parents treat always one that doesn't and reinfects the intire class. Hope this helps

 

[Hivemaker.]

I would imagine OA might be most important for beeks who take their bees to the heather, which could make it hard to time an autumn treatment.

Not that iv'e noticed,hives are generally brought home in september when it is still warm enough for thymol,and most are completely broodless,so only need a very short treatment.

 

[Finman]

.
In finland heather blooms in late half on July. But most of beekeepers think that it blooms in August. Heather has dry flowers in its twigs long time after flowering and folks think that it is blooming.

You notice the heather blooming if you see unopen buttons.


Ofcourse you need to use OA. It is just an opportunity to kill some mites.

Some years ago you had not this method and hives survived with the help of 19 othermethds.

 

[Hombre]

Did anyone notice that in post #5 the 78g was suddenly corrected to 7.8g?

Also there is a sticky regarding the dilution of OA. Made a sticky in an attempt to avoid the confusion caused by speculation and bad calculations being picked up by newbees and others that may not have been able to sort the wheat from the chaff as discussions meander and different opinions are offered up.

Nothing wrong with healthy debate, but we must be careful that we don't create more clutter that masks the true values of OA etc. to use.

 

[RoofTops]

They seem to be able to get away in Finland with just OA as there is such a long broodless winter and short summer. The varroa don't usually have long enough in the summer to build up to damaging numbers before the onset of winter and the arrival of the OA again. Our warm and wet winters and warm and wet summers (usually) mean we have to treat at least twice a year.

 

[Finman]

Did anyone notice that in post #5 the 78g was suddenly corrected to 7.8g?

Also there is a sticky regarding the dilution of OA. Made a sticky in an attempt to avoid the confusion caused by speculation and bad calculations being picked up by newbees and others that may not have been able to sort the wheat from the chaff as discussions meander and different opinions are offered up.

Nothing wrong with healthy debate, but we must be careful that we don't create more clutter that masks the true values of OA etc. to use.

yes. 78 g is one kilo sugar and in 7,5 g it is 100 g sugar.

2 kilo oxalicsyrup is meant for 40 hives.

 

[Finman]

They seem to be able to get away in Finland with just OA as there is

n. Our warm and wet winters and warm and wet summers (usually) mean we have to treat at least twice a year.

i meant my case only when many say that OA is something really bad.

Your brood season is so long that even small numbers of varroa reach harmfull level in late summer.


but I am really glad about level of discussion compared to two years ago in forum.

Oxalic acid is against the British law, I have not seen that argument for awhile. Heh he.

 

[For want of a better word]

Did anyone notice that in post #5 the 78g was suddenly corrected to 7.8g?

Also there is a sticky regarding the dilution of OA. Made a sticky in an attempt to avoid the confusion caused by speculation and bad calculations being picked up by newbees and others that may not have been able to sort the wheat from the chaff as discussions meander and different opinions are offered up.

Nothing wrong with healthy debate, but we must be careful that we don't create more clutter that masks the true values of OA etc. to use.

Wally Shaw's site says 75g of oxalic acid (dihydrate) added to 1kg of sugar and liter of water

which is the same as Finman's 7.5g of oxalic acid (dihydrate) added to 100g of sugar and 100ml of water

[for those that do not know 1 litre (1000ml) of water weighs 1 kg]

is that confusing ?
the answer is NOT to believe everything written on this forum!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Wally Shaw's site says 75g of oxalic acid (dihydrate) added to 1kg of sugar and liter of water

which is the same as Finman's 7.5g of oxalic acid (dihydrate) added to 100g of sugar and 100ml of water

[for those that do not know 1 litre (1000ml) of water weighs 1 kg]

is that confusing ?
the answer is NOT to believe everything written on this forum!

So why in post 2 do you say wally shaws recipe is 78g.

 

[For want of a better word]

TYPO combined with dyslexia

IF you google Wally Shaw Oxallic Acid you can see he uses

75g oxallic acid mixed with 1 kg of sugar and 1 liter of water

my sincere appologies if I may have caused confusion
but I do not know how many times you will ask why I stated the incorrect amount
:
perhaps it is because at local groupmeeting of beekeepers, 78g as opposed to 75g in a solution of 1kg sugar and 1 litre of water was reccomended and I had that written down in my note book.

However to quote Auldus Huxley... "rolling in the **** is no way to get clean"

I appoliges once again and bow to your obviously superior intelectual abilities
QED

 

[Hivemaker.]

You really are going to confuse yourself soon.....better get back to that other post.....the one where you have moved back to 78g.

 

[Finman]

.
75 g oa is needed for 40 hives.

why you cannot use 7,5 g if you have under 10 hives.

What makes it so difficult?

 

[For want of a better word]

You really are going to confuse yourself soon.....better get back to that other post.....the one where you have moved back to 78g.

what do you use 78g or 75g.... it is a significant difference

I am going to use 75g...... and share the prepared solution with some other beeks I know who will not go near this forum, as they fear the backhanded critisism that seems to abound from certain postees...........................

 

[Hivemaker.]

I should stick with the recommended dose given by Finman ....75g or 7.5g
Then share it with your friends.

 

[For want of a better word]

I should stick with the recommended dose given by Finman ....75g or 7.5g
Then share it with your friends.

That is what I shall do !

 

[keithgrimes]

I hate it when posts get hijacked. Do I treat? yes or no?

 

[For want of a better word]

I hate it when posts get hijacked. Do I treat? yes or no?

not quite 500 replies yet!

I say..............................YES TREAT

 

[keithgrimes]

hurrah!!