Winter varroa treatment for nucs - OAV?

[Blacky50]

I will be treating my hives with oxalic acid vapourisation soon, and am wondering about the best way of treating nucs.

I can make a support to go under the nucs so that I can get a vapouriser underneath and sealed all the way round, so that the mist goes up through the bit of open mesh underneath. That’s in Payne’s poly nucs and wooden ones of my own making with a similar mesh.

What experience do others have of OAV and nucs?

 

[peteinwilts]

exactly as you suggest. I made some boxes for them to sit on, with a heat proof floor. If your woodworking skills are ok, the box will create the seal.
make sure the vaporizer does not touch the poly

 

[SDM]

And if your woodworking skills are not so hot, get a roll of door/window seal tape and that will make up for inaccuracies up to about 5mm.

 

[Eyeman]

Here's one I made when I used to use the varrox.

 

[Plenty of honey]

However you seal up your nucs, just do whats best for you. we use whatever we can to make it quick and effective. The best thing is foam, strips of it or sheets of it, like old sofa cushions cut up to fit. These are pretty good tools because they fit in to most situations.
Having a good calm day will help you a lot too, Vapour lingers longer. Any vaping in a windy area will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. even if the hive or nuc is well sealed up, in a windy area the hive will leak more.
Remember one really good treatment in brood less colonies is very effective, spend a little time getting it really well administered and this will pay dididends.

If you havent seen it, heres a video of how i treat my hives. I use a Sublimox, but have treated with a Varrox for years before i had too little time. Same thing though.

heres the links, hope it helps. first video is with Sublimox, second one with Varrox filmed 4 years ago (i think)

https://youtu.be/zNVbLYYXP9I

https://youtu.be/_KOlHJO4VgQ

 

[Blacky50]

Thanks. I’ll be doing some woodworking very soon then

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I make a little eke which sits on my steel plate (or a hive roof) then I just close up the nuc, put it on the eke, vape, move nuc back to its stand then open up.
I have, once, at an out apiary when I realised I'd forgottem the eke at home just jury rigged four pieces of foam for the nuc to sit on - worked a treat

 

[Blacky50]

What dose do you give a nuc? Is is the same as for a full size colony?

 

[mazzamazda]

However you seal up your nucs, just do whats best for you. we use whatever we can to make it quick and effective. The best thing is foam, strips of it or sheets of it, like old sofa cushions cut up to fit. These are pretty good tools because they fit in to most situations.
Having a good calm day will help you a lot too, Vapour lingers longer. Any vaping in a windy area will reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. even if the hive or nuc is well sealed up, in a windy area the hive will leak more.
Remember one really good treatment in brood less colonies is very effective, spend a little time getting it really well administered and this will pay dididends.

If you havent seen it, heres a video of how i treat my hives. I use a Sublimox, but have treated with a Varrox for years before i had too little time. Same thing though.

heres the links, hope it helps. first video is with Sublimox, second one with Varrox filmed 4 years ago (i think)

https://youtu.be/zNVbLYYXP9I

https://youtu.be/_KOlHJO4VgQ

+1 for sponge, so easy to make up and very little leakage. Wood works ok but still leaks. I sometimes wonder if it is working as nothing comes from the bottom, sometimes from the roof

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What dose do you give a nuc? Is is the same as for a full size colony?

about a gram and a half.
I get no leaks whatsoever with my wooden eke.