When is the best time to use the OA treatment?
The treatment is best delivered when the hive is reasonably sealed to prevent the vapour from vacating. If a beekeeper smells vaporized OA just move away and next time seal the hive better. It is just another tool, but an effective one when used at the right time.
How long should I follow the OAV instructions?
So I recommend you follow the OAV instructions for as long, and only as long, a time period as necessary. As you know, you’ll need to seal the hive for the treatment. Just be sure to “unseal” the hive as soon as the treatment is completed. For what it’s worth, I have seen recommendations for a lower ambient temperature limit.
How long to wait before replacing honey supers with OA?
I evacuated and removed honey supers before fumigating with OA in mid-summer. How long should I wait before replacing the honey supers? With the dribble method, 14 days are recommended but that is understandable given the different mode of action (liquid vs gas). Reply
Should treatment regimen for OAV when brood is present be based on 24-day?
Shouldn’t the treatment regimen for OAV when brood is present be based on the 24-day cycle for drone brood instead of the 21-day cycle for worker brood? In other words, treat once a week for 4 weeks in order to fully cover the drone brood cycle. Reply Rustysays:
Can I use oxalic acid with supers on?
That is, oxalic acid (API-Bioxal™) cannot be used when honey supers are on unless specified on the EPA-approved product label or supplemental product label. Use of oxalic acid that does not adhere to what is specified on the label would be considered a violation and is subject to enforcement under FIFRA.
Can you treat for varroa mites with honey supers on?
Of the three products, formic acid (available commercially as Formic Pro) is the summer mainstay because it has two important features: It can be used when honey supers are in place and it kills varroa mites under brood cappings, meaning all of the varroa in the hive are vulnerable to it.
How long does oxalic acid last?
If you must store your oxalic acid-containing syrup for any length of time it should be in the fridge (4°C). Under these conditions HMF levels should remain well below toxic levels for at least one year. However, don't store it for this long … use it and discard the excess.
Can you feed bees while treating with oxalic acid?
Any treatment applied indiscriminately can harm your bees and this is certainly true with oxalic acid. The approved use of oxalic acid in the hive - using the documented procedures and cautions - will be just fine. But don't deviate from that, since overuse can indeed be harmful to your bees.
What happens if you leave honey supers on during Apivar treatment?
What is your source? APIVAR will leave residue in honey if the supers are applied during, or too soon after treatment.
Can I use Apiguard with supers on?
Q: Should I use Apiguard when supers are on the hive? A: It is preferable to remove supers before treating with Apiguard. Apiguard may taint honey in supers, but it is unlikely, especially if the honey stores are sealed. Apiguard may taint the brood wax, and low traces may reach the wax of the supers.
How do you treat OAV?
15:3318:49How To Use A Oxalic Acid Wand/ Treating With OAV - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou could go ahead and take the supers all the way off set them to the side put your inner cover andMoreYou could go ahead and take the supers all the way off set them to the side put your inner cover and outer cover back on and then follow through with your treatment.
Does oxalic acid damage brood?
Oxalic acid is known to cause damage to open brood (Terpin et al. 2019). Damaging brood during honey flow can weaken the colony later in the summer. We already have treatments that are labeled for use when honey supers are on and that work through the cappings—Mite Away Quick Strips and Formic Pro.
How often should you treat bees for mites?
At least for now, any one interested in keeping bees must have a plan to deal with this external pest of the honey bee. Beekeeping involves hive management and varroa management. When do you need to worry about varroa mites? For most beekeepers, it is a necessity to treat bees for varroa mites several times a year.
What happens if you touch oxalic acid?
► Exposure to Oxalic Acid can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, coma and even death. ► Prolonged or repeated contact can cause a skin rash, pain, redness, blisters, and slow healing ulcers.
How many Varroa mites is too many?
It would also seem that Varroa are transmitting more virulent strains of viruses with each passing year. Because of this, I recommend to keep mite levels below 1 mite/ 100 bees in the spring and below 3 mites/100 bees in the fall. With Varroa loads any higher, beekeepers risk high colony losses.
Can you use oxalic acid in winter?
Oxalic acid works best on broodless colonies: This is why oxalic acid had always been the preferred treatment for the winter season (between November and January), if you notice a mite infestation going up the recommended thresholds.
How to vaporize oxalic acid?
The most popular method of using oxalic acid is – “ oxalic acid vaporization “. A small amount of Oxalic Acid crystals are placed on a special wand. The wand is inserted into the hive and heated to vaporize the crystals. There are many types of wands available to purchase.
How to use oxalic acid in a hive?
Dribble Method of Using Oxalic Acid. In the dribble method of using oxalic acid, the acid is mixed with warm 1:1 sugar water (equal parts of sugar and water). Then, the mix is sucked up into a syringe applied between the frames in the hive – directly wetting the bees.
Can you inhale oxalic acid in a vaporizer?
This is an overview of one way to use oxalic acid with a vaporizer in your bee yard. Please use appropriate safety gear to protect your skin and lungs. Do NOT inhale the vapor – do not.
Is oxalic acid stronger than vinegar?
Oxalic acid is several thousand times stronger than vinegar. It is bitter to the taste and irritating to the nose and mouth. Beekeepers should use proper protective wear when using this or any other acid. Oxalic Acid (OA) has been used by European Beekeepers for many years.
Is OA good for bees?
Oxalic Acid (OA) has been used by European Beekeepers for many years. With reports of 90-99% efficacy in killing mites, they found it be a useful tool in the fight with varroa. It was only approved for use in the US in 2015. Products available in stores are labeled for use in beehives. Some beekeepers use generics too.
Can vaporization damage a varroa?
It may also damage varroa mouth parts. With vaporization we are not trying to coat the bees, rather we are injecting the heated vapor into the hive. As the vapor cools, small crystals are left behind on the bees, comb and hive walls. As worker foragers come and go-they will be exposed to the crystals.
When will oxalic acid be approved?
This takes effect on February 23, 2021, though it’s still not allowed until labels on approved oxalic acid products are ammended.
How long does honey flow last?
The major honey flow in my area lasts maybe two to three months, and in my experience a honey bee colony that is properly prepared in the spring, and is then properly cared for in late summer and fall, can be healthy with mite loads that are quite manageable during that brief period.
Is oxalic acid legal for varroa mites?
Oxalic acid vaporization, though not my only method for managing varroa mites, is obviously a staple treatment given the fundamentals of my online mite calculator. But there have been legal—and therefore ethical—restrictions for year-round use of oxalic acid due to label ing that prohibits its use with honey supers.
How many days apart should I use oxalic acid?
Some folks advised her to use three treatments five days apart, another advised three treatments seven days apart. She wants to know which is best. I think the big question here is how long after a treatment does the oxalic acid continue to kill mites.
When will the colony swarm in 2021?
April 7, 2021 at 1:17 pm. And when the colony swarms – the old queen leaves with the swarm and the remaining colony rears a new queen. Assuming the colony swarms on the day the developing queen cells are sealed there will almost always be a few days when the colony is broodless (and bloodless!).
How long does a brood stay in the egg stage?
Brood is in the egg stage for 3 days, the larval stage for 6 days, and the pupal (capped) stage for 12. The rule of thumb here is that each stage is double the length of the previous one: 3+6+12=21.
Does oxalic acid return to normal after vaporization?
More recent reports say that levels of oxalic acid in the hive quickly return to normal after a vaporization treatment, which makes more sense. In deciding how much time to leave between treatments, you have to decide how long the chemical stays active in the hive.