Drill a hole in the back of each beehive you intend to treat. Wear protective gloves, upper body protection, safety goggles and a gas/respirator mask. Prepare enough oxalic acid solution to treat all of the beehives in your apiary.
When should you apply oxalic acid to hives?
One common argument for vapor is that you want to apply oxalic acid when little or no brood is present. That means you need to apply it in the dead of winter when it’s too cold to open the hives. But with a few exceptions for particularly cold places, I don’t see much problem with opening a hive for a couple of minutes in winter.
How to fumigate a hive with oxalic acid?
When heated to around 100 degrees C, oxalic acid burns off water, leaving anhydrous (water-free) crystals. When further heated to around 157 degrees C, sublimation starts, which is the transformation from the solid state to a gas. Oxalic acid vaporization equipment takes care of the heating process, effectively fumigating the hive.
How much oxalic acid should be in a beehive?
A normal rate of 1 gram of oxalic crystals or powder per beehive box is sufficient for vaporization. When vaporizing oxalic acid, take care to vaporize all of the oxalic acid in the vaporization pan.
Can you dribble oxalic acid on bees?
The dribble approach involves the use of a syringe to squirt the oxalic acid mixture on bees between the frames. The contact with the mixture doesn't harm the bees, though they will likely consume small amounts, which can cause mild harm. But, given the dose, this is quite acceptable.
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.
How do you prepare bee hives?
7:169:04Preparing Bee Hives For Winter / The Bees Needs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd it just gives you a place during the winter where you can lay some newspaper on top of theMoreAnd it just gives you a place during the winter where you can lay some newspaper on top of the frames. And pour in some dry. Sugar. This is a huge huge help to the bees.
Can you treat with oxalic acid with honey 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.
How do you prepare hives for the spring?
Preparing For Spring ManagementOrder package bees or NUCS for expansion or replacement of 'dead outs'Clean stored supers and frames of burr comb and propolis.Replace damaged or old comb.Build new equipment (frames, hive bodies, tops, bottoms)Paint and repair equipment.Sort and cut out sagging, diseased, damaged comb.More items...•
Should I leave a Super on my hive over winter?
Can You Leave a Honey Super on Over Winter? Yes, you can leave a honey super or several on the hive over Winter. In fact, most beekeepers do have a super or two designated for use by the bees.
How much honey do I put in my hive for winter?
That being said, you should plan to leave 60 – 90 pounds of honey for your colony to survive winter. This is at least 8-10 full deep frames of honey that must be left on the hive. You should plan to leave 60 – 90 pounds of honey for your colony to survive winter.
How long does oxalic acid stay in hive?
If you choose to leave your honey super boxes on the beehive during Varroa mite treatment with oxalic acid, do not harvest the honey for at least 14 days after treatment. The oxalic acid will dissipate from the hive to normal levels in the 2 weeks.
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.
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.
When should you open bee hives in the spring?
A sunny day with temperatures in the 50's will do to open hives, but if conditions are cloudy or windy, wait until the thermometer reads at least 60. There is no point in pulling frames until it's warm enough to manage any problems you may find, and disturbing the cluster too early can be harmful.
Should I clean my bee hive?
It's not really necessary. Just scrape out debris using the hive tool and remove the yucky brood comb or any comb damaged by moths or beetles. If there's mold, scrape as much off as you can. The new bees you install in this equipment are capable of cleaning up the rest.
How do you clean the bottom of a hive board?
"normally" a healthy hive will clean out the debris on there own over time. A regular solid bottom board will allow dragging out of the debris. If you go into the hive, and get down to the bottom, I generally take it away from the hive (20 feet) and sweep/scrape it off.
When to apply oxalic acid?
Or, more accurately, when there is very little capped brood. For this reason, oxalic acid is often applied in late fall or over the winter.
How much oxalic acid should I add to a mixing container?
Measure 8.75 grams of oxalic acid and place into your mixing container. Add 6 fl oz. (about 150 grams) of hot water and stir until the oxalic acid crystals are fully dissolved (do not shake) Mix in 3/4 cup (about 150 grams) of sugar and stir further until dissolved too.
What percentage of variola are in the phoretic state?
This, of course, has important implications for how and when it can be used. During the summer only about 15 - 20% of Varroa are in the phoretic state, meaning they are roaming the hive or attached to bees. The remainder are in a capped cell - out of the reach of oxalic acid.
What temperature does oxalic acid burn?
When heated to around 100 degrees C , oxalic acid burns off water, leaving anhydrous (water-free) crystals. When further heated to around 157 degrees C, sublimation starts, which is the transformation from the solid state to a gas.
What is the oxalic acid molecule?
Herbivores find oxalic acid repellent, which is a handy property if you are a plant! Chemically, the oxalic acid molecule is comprised of two carbon, two hydrogen and four oxygen atoms. It is a colorless solid that dissolves to form a colorless solution in water.
How long should I wait to remove honey supers before putting them back?
Another an important note! Remove honey supers before applying oxalic acid and allow at least 14 days before putting them back, so that acid is cleansed from the hive, thus avoiding honey contamination.
Is summer a good time to apply oxalic acid?
The remainder are in a capped cell - out of the reach of oxalic acid. Therefore, the summer is often considered a less-than-optimal time to apply oxalic acid, since only a small percentage of the Varroa in the hive are "reachable". But that doesn't mean it cannot still be an effective treatment, as we will see below.
What is the formula for oxalic acid?
Almost all the powdered oxalic acid you can buy is oxalic acid dihydrate. The molecular formula of oxalic acid is C 2 H 2 O 4. This has a molecular weight of 90.03. The dihydrated form of oxalic acid has the formula C 2 H 2 O 4 .2H 2 O 8 which has a molecular weight of 126.07.
How long can you keep oxalic acid syrup in the fridge?
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.
What is the best treatment for winter broodless?
A single oxalic acid based treatment applied during the winter broodless period is an ideal way to minimise the mite levels before the start of the following season. Oxalic acid is easy to administer, relatively inexpensive and well-tolerated by the bees.
How effective are miticides?
Miticides are not 100% effective. A proportion of the mites will survive this late summer treatment 1. It’s a percentages game, and the maximum percentage you can hope to kill is 90-95%.
Does Oxybee have glycerol?
Oxybee – approved for trickling (and possibly other routes, but the paperwork was a minefield!), contains oxalic acid, glycerol and essential oils and is promoted as having a long shelf life.
Is api bioxal the same as oxalic acid?
Oxalic acid and Api-Bioxal, the same but different. Api-Bioxal is the VMD-approved powdered oxalic acid-containing miticide. It is widely available, relatively inexpensive ( when compared to other VMD-approved miticides) and very easy to use. Spot the difference ….
Can beekeepers use oxalic acid?
Beekeepers have used oxalic acid for years as a ‘hive cleaner’, as recommended by the BBKA and a range of other official and semi-official organisations. All that changed when Api-Bioxal was licensed for use by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).
How often do beekeepers treat their bees?
Because oxalic acid does not affect capped brood, beekeepers treat their bees 3 to 5 times in two weeks, so that one brood cycle is covered completely to catch every mite.
Does oxalic acid kill mites?
Once vaporized oxalic acid immediately condenses into its anhydrous form, and the dust coats everything in the hive. In its dihydrate form, oxalic acid does not damage mites unless ingested by the bees.
Can you open a beehive in winter?
The main danger with opening a hive in winter is chilling the brood. But the whole point of applying oxalic acid in winter is to use the broodless window to kill the most mites. So with no brood in the hive to start with, a couple minutes of open time will not hurt anything.
How long can oxalic acid be left at room temperature?
The solution can be left at room temperature for several days if used promptly and kept refrigerated for several months. Prepare the appropriate amount of solution based upon how many colonies you have. For example, one liter of oxalic acid solution will treat 20 colonies (chart 3).
When to apply OA to colonies?
The best time to apply OA is late fall or winter. It is important that OA is used at recommended dosages (see below)
What is OA in a plant?
Oxalic acid dihydrate (OA) (also known as wood bleach) is an organic acid naturally found in plants including spinach, rhubarb, black tea, and honey. Although it is considered an organic chemical, it is highly corrosive and causes severe burns if used improperly. OA is becoming a popular method for varroa control in the US.
What is the spray method for bees?
The spray method is similar to the trickle method, but instead of trickling the solution onto the bees in the spaces between combs, a spray bottle with a 3% OA solution is used to spray onto each frame of bees inside the colony.
What to wear when spraying organic acid?
Wear protective gear. Certified respirator for organic acid. Chemical resistant gloves. Eye protection. For both trickle and spraying methods, the oxalic hydrate crystals must be dissolved in warm sugar water (one part sugar to one part water by volume or weight). Granulated sugar should be used over powdered sugar.
How to make 3.5% OA solution?
Preparation of 3.5% OA solution: To prepare a 3.5% OA solution, measure one liter of sugar syrup and stir in 35 g of OA crystals until it is completely dissolved. The crystals dissolve best if the sugar syrup is warm. All the crystals must be completely dissolved, which may require vigorous shaking.
Is Brushy Mountain Bee Farm certified?
OA must be certified for use in honey bee colonies. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm is the only beekeeping company in the U.S. which sells certified, pure OA. The OA or ‘wood bleach’ that is sold in hardware and other stores may not be pure Oxalic acid dihydrate and using it in honey bee colonies is not included on the label.
How to vaporize pollen from hive?
Take the pollen and bottom board tray out. Shut the entrance reducer and front circular outlets close. Put oxalic acid in the vaporizer and slide it under the hive from the back. Seal the perimeter of the bottom board with the damp towel (s) Connect the vaporizer to the power source.
How to treat vararia mites in bee hives?
One way of treating Varroa mites in a bee hive is using Oxalic Acid Vaporizer. There are 2 methods of applying the vaporizer on our bee hives. The difference is in first method, one has apply from under the hive, and use a little bit more than usual, and in the second method, one has to modify the vaporizer and take the front entrance reducer.
How to make a vaporizer for bees?
Put oxalic acid to the modified vaporizer. Slide the modified vaporizer inside the hive from the front. Seal the front hive opening with the damp towel. Close the round entrance pieces. Connect the vaporizer to the power source. Let it sit about 5 to 10 minutes until all the acid granules have vaporized.
What do you need to vaporize pollen?
You’ll need. Oxalic acid. Acid vaporizer. Power source for your vaporizer. 1 large, or 2 regular sized damp towels. For the application please follow these steps: Take the pollen trap off the hive and seal the slot with the red plug. Take the pollen and bottom board tray out.
How to use a vaporizer on a paint stick?
Place the vaporizer on top of the paint stick. Tie the vaporizer from multiple locations to the paint stick with the wire ( it is better if you drill holes on the stick for the wires go through , or you may secure it using other methods as well) Make sure the vaporizer is secured to the paint stick.
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.
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.
What is the best way to kill mites in beehives?
A naturally occurring substance, oxalic acid, is an effort to step away from the use of synthetic chemicals in beehives. It has shown to be very effective at killing mites when used correctly with no damage to the honey bee colony. When varroa mites arrived in our country, the face of beekeeping changed forever.
What is the best way to control varroa mites?
Oxalic acid is an organic compound that aids beekeepers in the fight against varroa mites. With the use of a special heating wand, Oxalic Acid Vaporization is one of the best tools for control varroa control. A naturally occurring substance, oxalic acid, is an effort to step away from the use of synthetic chemicals in beehives.
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.
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.
Where can I find oxalic acid?
It is a white crystalline solid that is colorless in water. You will find it in such things as: peanuts, sweet potatoes, wheat bran and pecans. Some oxalic acid occurs naturally in honey.
An Effective and Popular Treatment
What Is Oxalic acid?
Why Is Oxalic Acid of Interest to Beekeepers?
How Does It Work?
Oxalic Acid Cautions
When Oxalic Acid Works - and When It Doesn't
- A large percentage of Varroa in the mid-summer hive do their damage under the protective cover of the capping on a cell. As well as sucking the life out of the larvae resident in the same cell, the female Varroa that entered the cell initially will reproduce. Eventually, a single cell will be home to many Varroa. Oxalic acid is not effective agains...
Popular Methods For Applying Oxalic Acid