- Joined
- Nov 4, 2009
- Messages
- 4,018
- Reaction score
- 1,801
- Location
- Devon/South Hams
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 5
I know OA is organic, but it's still a chemical. I use it. However if drop was zero, why do a 2nd and 3rd vape anyway?
Because he’s new and probably just got the wrong end of the stick/advice!I know OA is organic, but it's still a chemical. I use it. However if drop was zero, why do a 2nd and 3rd vape anyway?
I know OA is organic, but it's still a chemical.
A brood gap between laying queens will have restricted varroa numbers somewhat, which is in your favour.The bees managed to produce a new queen
By now the queen will probably have begun laying and if sealed brood is present, a trickle will be of limited value. On the other hand, there may be no brood so you may as well get on and do it. The weather will be slightly milder after mid-week, which may help spread the trickle.should I treat now with Oxalic or leave them in peace
And in us! Combined with calcium it can form calcium oxalate kidney stones. Ouch!Oxalic acid is produced naturally in many plants, perhaps most infamously in rhubarb, but also parsley, spinach and members of the brassica family. I'm not certain, but it may only exist in the plants in ionic form and only produce oxalic acid as we'd recognise it when isolated.
I bought an oxalic vaporiser on Amazon for £25 and vaped on 20th, 25th and 30th Dec.Good morning Norman, I was in a similar position to you a couple of months ago. I treated with apivar late on and wasn't sure if it would be too cold to open up to remove the strips but I was reassured after asking the same question and it turned out they were clustered and very docile. I think I only lost one bee!
I bought an oxalic vaporiser on Amazon for £25 and vaped on 20th, 25th and 30th Dec.
Mite drop was zero.
My "main hive" is doing just fine and even the queen I banked in a 3 frame nuc in late September is still going strong.
As regards splitting the cluster lifting the super I'd be worried about damaging the queen of she's too sluggish to get out of the way when you put it down, there may be a lump of brace comb or something might trap her, hence vaping seems to be the answer.
I'd not expect a typical domestic car battery charger to have enough oomph to be capable of heating the pan in anything like a workable time. Simpler to get an invalid scooter battery which is easier to carry about.I bought an oxalic vaporiser on Amazon for £25 and vaped on 20th, 25th and 30th Dec.
Hi there sorry to butt in, Could you tell me what power source do you use for the vaporiser, as it seems to have a pair of cables indicating should be used with a battery. If so is there a way that could be used with a charger. Thank you
Most of us guess to a degree although over the years I’ve sneaked a look on occasion. I’ve found back end of December early Jan to be the best time for a single Winter treatment. Brood rearing in my area tales off with the end of the ivy and available pollen.Thanks Ian, I didn't know that. I was just following what I'd read online but that makes sense if there is no brood present. I'll have to invest in a boroscope or learn to read the tray for cappings next year.
I have the old battery off my Landover which was failing on the vehicle but plenty of oomph left for jobs such as this.I bought an oxalic vaporiser on Amazon for £25 and vaped on 20th, 25th and 30th Dec.
Hi there sorry to butt in, Could you tell me what power source do you use for the vaporiser, as it seems to have a pair of cables indicating should be used with a battery. If so is there a way that could be used with a charger. Thank you
That's what I thought, until this year when I vaped multiple times around the shortest day.Hi Rob….A single vape at that time would have been sufficient and it’s all that’s recommended. You only do multiple for periods of brood rearing to catch mites in cells, hope that helps.
Depends on your arm and leg I suppose https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Soni...refix=mobility+scooter+battery,aps,300&sr=8-7Invalid scooter batteries cost an arm and a leg. I think Amari on here uses a jump start battery, which is very portable and I think he says it does about 5 hives. Am sure he will correct if I am wrong.
That would make sense and even trickling over the years there’s been the odd hive that catches you out and not developing in the spring.That's what I thought, until this year when I vaped multiple times around the shortest day.
Mite drop varied dramatically between colonies following the first treatment: substantial in some, little in others. Initially I attributed this to the relative efficacy of the range of miticides tested across my apiaries in autumn but then, for the avoidance of doubt, I vaped again after 5 days and the results were very different from the first treatment - high mite drop where previously there had been little. Why?
Having ruled out operational error (eg weak battery, pan heated too slowly), I speculate that the principal factor affecting the relative strike rates may have been variability in cluster cohesion and consequently also penetration by the microcrystalline OA fog. The more I witness profound between-hives variability in winter activity levels, the more I'm inclined to accept this hypothesis.
I'll be treating multiple times where apparently needed, going forward.
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