Treated with Oxalic acid today.

[VEG]

Treated all mine with OA today the nuc I have is a bit light on stores so they will get fondant tomorrow. One of my hives had bees across 8 frames. The others across 5/6. None of my hives had touched the super full of honey and bees in all hives were in the brood box not up into the super where I thought they would be. All hives looking strong at the moment.

 

[Polyanwood]

The beeshop sold me 1g oxalic acid tablets, the ones you use in a vapouriser, because he had no crystals. I want to do my OA treatment today.

Question:
Will the tablets dissolve easily in water or do I need to grind them up before 5 use them?

Thanks,

K

 

[Repwoc]

They will disolve given long enough - grinding them up will speed things up.

Are they OA dihydrate or anhydrous OA? If anhydrous OA then you won't need as much, ie a 3.2% solution of OA dihydrate is equivalent to 2.3% solution of anhydrous OA.

(m.wt. of OA=90, m.wt. of OA.(H2O)2=126)

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks. They just say oxalic acid on the tub. They are from ENOLAPI Srl, Via Torricelli, Verona. I will Google them to see if they have a website.

 

[Polyanwood]

None the wiser after looking at the website. I guess they can't be anyhydrous if they are in an unsealed plastic bag in a plastic tub, but now I don't know what to do

 

[jimbeekeeper]

For the cost of the correct grade of OA, I would just buy some new.

 

[Finman]

.
The Swiss use 2,5% oxalic acid. Do something.

 

[Polyanwood]

Ok, so I will try to get one of the less mathematically challenged to assist.

So how many tablets, water and sugar? If it is anyhydrous OA would that be 53.9g of OA for 1kg of sugar and 1 litre of water???

OH how I wish I wasn't so mean and had bought the stuff made up!!!!

 

[Repwoc]

It's most likely the dihydrate. The anhydrous material is hygroscopic and will revert to the dihydrate if not kept in a dry ambient.

 

[Finman]

You have 5 colonies. If they are wintering in one brood, you need

100 g sugar + 100 g water + 7,5 g OA.

But to get enough the liquid, make 120g W + 120 g Sugar +9g OA
Then drop one pill extra.It makes no harm.

 

[Polyanwood]

COOL. I am on to it...I have 8 colonies and 3 nucs so will do double. I'm going to take the batteries out of the TV remote control now so I can make the digital scales work. I bet you will hear the groaning from the children from as far away as Finland,

thanks,
K

 

[Repwoc]

I used kitchen scales to make up my OA mix:

1. Put a suitable container (over 1 litre capacity) on the scales and tare to zero;
2. Add 70g of OA dihydrate;
3. Make up to 1000g with water;
4. Stir until the acid disolves. I warmed mine in the microwave to speed up the disolving.

This makes a 7% w/w solution. When used to make up a 1:1 sugar syrup it becomes a 3.5% w/w solution, so to make 500g of 1:1 syrup:

5. Put another suitable container on the scales and tare to zero;
6. Add 250g of sugar;
7. Add 250g of OA solution.
8. Stir until the sugar disolves. Warming in the microwave helps.

Then

9. Treat bees

 

[Finman]

I used kitchen scales to make up my OA mix:

1. Put a suitable container (over 1 litre capacity) on the scales and tare to zero;
2. Add 70g of OA dihydrate;
3. Make up to 1000g with water;

This is for 40 hives! Take a zero off if you have 4 hives.

Repwoc, your how to do it, is awfull! That I do not understand: "This makes a 7% w/w solution. When used to make up a 1:1 sugar syrup it becomes a 3.5% w/w solution, so to make 500g of 1:1 syrup:".

 

[Repwoc]

The kitchen scales are not good for measuring such small amounts as 7g. 70g is OK, and OA is cheap so this is the easiest way (for me) to make the 7% solution. It can then be used to make the required amount of 1:1 syrup. I made just 200g of syrup which was enough for me, and discarded the excess OA solution.

 

[Polyanwood]

Ok I made it. it looks a bit like a snow storm... not properly dissolved. Think I will label it and put it outside to keep it cool and treat the colonies tomorrow. It should dissolve overnight. It will be getting dark soon now anyway.

 

[Repwoc]

This is for 40 hives! Take a zero off if you have 4 hives.

Repwoc, your how to do it, is awfull! That I do not understand: "This makes a 7% w/w solution. When used to make up a 1:1 sugar syrup it becomes a 3.5% w/w solution, so to make 500g of 1:1 syrup:".

I'm sorry you are not able to understand.

It is simple enough. Make a 7% solution, then use the 7% solution to make 1:1 sugar syrup. 7% / 2 = 3.5%.

What is so awful about that?

 

[Finman]

The kitchen scales are not good for measuring such small amounts as 7g..

If the accuracy is 1 g, they are enough good.

70g is OK, and OA is cheap so this is the easiest way (for me) to make the 7% solution.

Bye a new balance and make to your bees 100g S + 100W +7,5g OA.
It is for 3-5 hives.

When the balance turns just to 8 g OA, it is good.

 

[BKF Admin]

Ok I made it. it looks a bit like a snow storm... not properly dissolved. Think I will label it and put it outside to keep it cool and treat the colonies tomorrow. It should dissolve overnight. It will be getting dark soon now anyway.

That will be cold for the bees,if you leave it indoors it will be around 21c about the same temp as the cluster.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Also at 21 Deg C (room temp) the OA and sugar will disolve better/faster.

 

[Polyanwood]

Thought I would leave it outside and then bring it in in the morning when I go out to walk my sister's dog, so it could warm up then....I have this memory that mixed up OA deteriorates in the warmth... so I was treating it like a nice piece of Stilton... only bringing into the warmth just before it is needed....LOL I am probably over complicating it!!!!