Which oxalic acid?

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Olivia9801

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I see that they are selling oxalic on E bay for those in the marine trade.

It also seems to be a lot cheaper than that from beekeeping suppliers.

I just wanted to check if its okay to use the ebay sources of oxalic acid for bee keeping purposes?

I don't want to find that its got something else contained within it. that's why I am asking.

Do other bee keepers buy theirs from ebay?

Please let me know.

Regards

Olivia9801
 
I see that they are selling oxalic on E bay for those in the marine trade.

It also seems to be a lot cheaper than that from beekeeping suppliers.

I just wanted to check if its okay to use the ebay sources of oxalic acid for bee keeping purposes? YES

I don't want to find that its got something else contained within it. that's why I am asking.

Do other bee keepers buy theirs from ebay? YES

Please let me know.

Regards

Olivia9801

See above..
 
Oxllic acid is a chemical that is used throughout the marine engineering trade to clean components that have been exposed to salt, salty water and the oily residues left by the myriads of little marine creatures that live within it.

I have also found it to be useful in cleaning hive components of propollis and when used as a complementary following wash to lye ( Washing soda) can also help in the removal of beeswax deposits.

Oxalic acid if applied correctly ( two 2.25g applications via sublimation) applied to a colony of honey bees with zero sealed brood shows a varroa survival rate of 0.4%
[Al Toufailia, H (2016). Integrated control of honey bee diseases in apiculture.PhD Thesis, University of Sussex

The answer it seems is that yes you can buy oxalic acid, but due to the inneficiences of this unelected and seemingly uncaring Tory government ( as far at least as apiculture is concerned)... if you use it an application on honeybees without paying out for a £30.000 LICENCE.... you may find youself facing a stiff prison sentence.

So best advice is to allow varroa to run riot through you honey bee colonies and do nothing.

I must now go into hiding as I can hear the footsteps of the English yeomanry coming to throw me into Bodmin gaol for rebel rousing, inciting a riot, wrekking and possibly murder!!! ( and the insidious offense of killing varroa and instigating IPC!!

Yeghes da
 
Which oxalic acid? There are two . Anhydrous and dihydrate. Either would do, but dihydrate is the commonly used 'version'.
 
Yes...Dihydrate.
(but only if it comes in a sachet called Apibioxal)

Shirly the dihydrate would make the glucose (which seems to be the only other compound in this ridiculously over inflated pricey stuff) go all stickey and gooey as it absorbed the water from the dihydrate.
The anhydrous oxallic acid has been used for decades as a anti caulking agent in glucose in the confectionery industry.

They will be licensing oxygen dihydride next!:hairpull:

Yeghes da
 
I see that they are selling oxalic on E bay for those in the marine trade.

It also seems to be a lot cheaper than that from beekeeping suppliers.

I just wanted to check if its okay to use the ebay sources of oxalic acid for bee keeping purposes?

I don't want to find that its got something else contained within it. that's why I am asking.

Do other bee keepers buy theirs from ebay?

Please let me know.

Regards

Olivia9801

Hi

You can buy all you require off Fleabay for a fraction of the price of the beekeeping suppliers including a vaporiser that will more than cope sublimating several hives.
Look for a vaporiser with quality croc clips for the battery connection and 2.5mm wire 2.5 metres long or more.
You won't go far wrong with the one described.

Regards
 
Hi

You can buy all you require off Fleabay for a fraction of the price of the beekeeping suppliers including a vaporiser that will more than cope sublimating several hives.
Look for a vaporiser with quality croc clips for the battery connection and 2.5mm wire 2.5 metres long or more.
You won't go far wrong with the one described.

Regards

I have seen a few burst into flames when the cable pulled too much current
A Ukrainian implement I foolishly purchased some years back had the switch melt after 60 seconds use... bloody lethal.

Choice is yours!!

Nos da
 
Choice is yours!!

The price of buying imported stuff is rising fast, maybe better to buy locally made products.
Won't be long before UK produced product prices start to rise, they will be raised to match the prices of the imported stuff.

British sugar.
 
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Big T's now sell a budget vapouriser which although not as gutsy as the Varrox looks adequate for a few hive owner (note the avoidance of the dual ownership jibe :D)
But be careful of discussing fleabay OA - you'll only have the Poisons/precursor thought police threatening imminent doom and house raids!!!
 
I have seen a few burst into flames when the cable pulled too much current
A Ukrainian implement I foolishly purchased some years back had the switch melt after 60 seconds use... bloody lethal.


Did you buy a 'job lof' and are not a fast learner? Perhaps poor quality or not suitable for purpose, but 'lethal'? Stop putting things in your mouth? Or was it mains operated?
 
old farts, and again in deep troubles

When I was a shool boy, we stole dynamite tens of kilos. It was safer than oxalic acid, when I read your stories.

and about dihydrate and anhydrate. Real experts merely speak about oxalic acid.
 
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Shirly the dihydrate would make the glucose (which seems to be the only other compound in this ridiculously over inflated pricey stuff) go all stickey and gooey as it absorbed the water from the dihydrate.
The anhydrous oxallic acid has been used for decades as a anti caulking agent in glucose in the confectionery industry.

They will be licensing oxygen dihydride next!:hairpull:

Yeghes da

No the water is bound up in the crystal structure so is not released by mixing with glucose.
 
Shirly the dihydrate would make the glucose (which seems to be the only other compound in this ridiculously over inflated pricey stuff) go all stickey and gooey as it absorbed the water from the dihydrate.
The anhydrous oxallic acid has been used for decades as a anti caulking agent in glucose in the confectionery industry.



No in the dihydrate the water is bound up in the crystal structure so is not released by mixing with glucose.
 
.
Anhydrate and dihydrate oxalic acid difference is that dihydrate has two molecule water in the acid molecule.

When your dilute acid to water, it is same, how much molecules.

To weigh correctly? ... There are variation, what is used in trickling. 2.8 in Switzerland to Italy 4%. Even some use 6%.

Then when trickling original recipe is that 50 ml to double brood box, however guys put 50 ml to partly filled one box. Correct dosage would be 30 ml.

So you can see, that bees stand what ever. But 10 fold acid kills the colony.

.
 
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