Repeated doses of oxalic acid are ineffective when sealed brood is present.

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https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/22/1/15/6523139
This study suggests that repeated does of vaped oxalic acid do little more than contain (rather than control) varroa when there is sealed brood in a hive. The researchers used a dose of 1g per brood box seven times at 5-day intervals and found that the level of mites stayed the same (and also that adult bees were not adversely affected); at the same time, mite levels increased in the control colonies. They speculate that the 1g dose may be too small given that others have had success with 2.5 and 4g doses. This might explain the (anecdotal) findings of many beekeepers that repeated treatments are successful in colonies with sealed brood.

A bit of a lost opportunity not to have done this trial with the more usual larger dose (c.2.5g), four times at 5-day intervals?

(Moderators: this article out in January so apologies if it has already been aired here.)
 
Other research has shown the efficacy of up to 70% for multiple treatments of OAV. If I remember right that used a larger dose.
I don't have the research paper to link here.
 
https://academic.oup.com/jinsectscience/article/22/1/15/6523139
This study suggests that repeated does of vaped oxalic acid do little more than contain (rather than control) varroa when there is sealed brood in a hive. The researchers used a dose of 1g per brood box seven times at 5-day intervals and found that the level of mites stayed the same (and also that adult bees were not adversely affected); at the same time, mite levels increased in the control colonies. They speculate that the 1g dose may be too small given that others have had success with 2.5 and 4g doses. This might explain the (anecdotal) findings of many beekeepers that repeated treatments are successful in colonies with sealed brood.

A bit of a lost opportunity not to have done this trial with the more usual larger dose (c.2.5g), four times at 5-day intervals?

(Moderators: this article out in January so apologies if it has already been aired here.)
1g is their legal dose.
 
1g is the recommended dose when you buy a varrox.
 
Last edited:
The varrox 1g is for a brood less one off application........ of a super ?
 
Thanks good stuff, and yes the research does say you need more than 1g
 

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