When to treat with oxalic acid?

[peterbees]

Our local BKA winter apiary meeting is next Saturday 2nd January. (We are in North Wales). We plan to treat the Association colonies with oxalic acid. Given the recent very mild weather, is there likely to be brood in the hives? Should we wait a couple of weeks, or just go ahead?
Thanks for your advice and Blwyddyn Newydd Dda / Happy New Year.

 

[For want of a better word]

Vaporise anytime... trickle never again!

Ladelik lowen

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The question is - is there likely to be a really cold snap in the next few weeks? if so, is it worth waiting a few weeks after that to treat? the thing is, the shortest day has just passed and the queen is at the nadir of her laying cycle, with days lengthening we shall see before long an increase in brooding and then you are in an even worse situation. It has been moderately mild with us here, but still cold and wet so although I doubt there is no brood I'd hazard a guess there's very little. May be worth waiting a week or two in the hope of a really cold spell?.
Hobson's choice really

 

[Swarm]

I'm sure there will be a cold snap soon enough.

 

[peterbees]

The question is - is there likely to be a really cold snap in the next few weeks? if so, is it worth waiting a few weeks after that to treat? the thing is, the shortest day has just passed and the queen is at the nadir of her laying cycle, with days lengthening we shall see before long an increase in brooding and then you are in an even worse situation. It has been moderately mild with us here, but still cold and wet so although I doubt there is no brood I'd hazard a guess there's very little. May be worth waiting a week or two in the hope of a really cold spell?.
Hobson's choice really

Thanks. We had a light frost this morning and the 8-day forecast shows cold nights from Thursday.

 

[snelgrove]

Thanks. We had a light frost this morning and the 8-day forecast shows cold nights from Thursday.

Treated 35 colonies with trickle oxalic, bees tightly clustered no brood. I think the longer you wait the more chance there will be of the queen starting to lay, however I no hives in other parts of country have brood.

 

[Hivemaker.]

however I no hives in other parts of country have brood.

Not been checking through certain hives on Anglesey by moonlight, to see if the queens are laying by any chance.

 

[snelgrove]

Not been checking through certain hives on Anglesey by moonlight, to see if the queens are laying by any chance.

Not guilty

 

[Finman]

Vaporise anytime... trickle never again!

Ladelik lowen

Best in beekeeping is vaporazing!
Smoked oxalic honey only here!

 

[For want of a better word]

Best in beekeeping is vaporazing!
Smoked oxalic honey only here!

Now thers me a thinking you only used finest Finnish magic mushrooms in your smokers!

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

Now thers me a thinking you only used finest Finnish magic mushrooms in your smokers!

Yeghes da

That story is from Siberia.
And Scotland invented golf, because golf lawn grows best mushrooms.

.

 

[For want of a better word]

That story is from Siberia.
And Scotland invented golf, because golf lawn grows best mushrooms.

.

DO NOT set alight to golf balls Finnie... they can explode!!

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

DO NOT set alight to golf balls Finnie... they can explode!!

Yeghes da

ey! - don't be so presumtuous as to try and tell finnie how to use them - don't you know he has a degree in talking balls!!

 

[Arfermo]

Found some hives with uncapped brood but mostly NIL. So have treated as least of the worst options.

 

[daroco]

Bit the bullet and treated them today, despite warm weather - as wary that the queen will begin to lay again. Planning on moving to vapour this season - so will hopefully avoid this issue next time round

 

[Finman]

DO NOT set alight to golf balls Finnie... they can explode!!

Yeghes da

Amen...
.
Suomeksi silviisii
.

 

[djg]

Bit the bullet and treated them today, despite warm weather - as wary that the queen will begin to lay again. Planning on moving to vapour this season - so will hopefully avoid this issue next time round

Yes, I was up on the roof on Boxing Day. It was blowing hard, so I was happy to be an experienced trickler, rather than a novice vaper this time around.

Usual light bee casualties and a heavy mite fall Day One, so for heaven's sake do one or the other !

Likewise, will be moving to sublimation in 2016, though.

Happy New Year to both persuasions....

 

[peterbees]

Many thanks for the constructive comments. We will proceed with the apiary meeting as planned on Saturday 2nd Jan. We will demonstrate both methods, trickling and vaporizing.

 

[Roola]

Sorry to kind of hijack this thread but I have a question about the di-hydrate crystals. I bought up a batch of these this year rather than ready mixed liquid and wanted to look at making up my own soltion. I bought a bag from S1mon the Beekeeper which is made by Enolapi, has yellow label. Has anyone else used this and what measurements did you use? I know there have been extensive discussions on here about volumes etc... but i'd be grateful if someone could maybe just enlighten me of amounts to use for maybe 500ml of solution for trickling at around the 3% mark? (i'm not vaporising). Chemistry has never been my strong point! Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry to kind of hijack this thread but I have a question about the di-hydrate crystals. I bought up a batch of these this year rather than ready mixed liquid and wanted to look at making up my own soltion. I bought a bag from S1mon the Beekeeper which is made by Enolapi, has yellow label. Has anyone else used this and what measurements did you use? I know there have been extensive discussions on here about volumes etc... but i'd be grateful if someone could maybe just enlighten me of amounts to use for maybe 500ml of solution for trickling at around the 3% mark? (i'm not vaporising). Chemistry has never been my strong point! Thanks

Disolve 1kg sugar in 1 litre of water. This produces 1.67 of 1:1 (100%)syrup. Add 75grm of Oxalic Acid. This gives a 3.2% Oxalic Acid (weight/volume) solution which is more commonly expressed as 4.5% Oxalic Acid solution.

What I've always used anyway - you can pro rata down the quantities to whatever you need