Should I treat package bees with oxalic acid?
Your beehive is naturally broodless in the winter, but it is also broodless when you pick up your three-pound package of bees. Treating package bees with oxalic acid can be useful to ensure that you’re setting up your bees for a strong pest-free start.
How much oxalic acid per hive?
Use ¼ tsp of powdered oxalic acid per hive treatment or the amount the manufacturer recommends. Place the acid on your vaporizer, and test to see how long it takes for the acid to vaporize completely. Now you know how long to keep the vaporizer in your hive.
What are the uses for oxalic acid?
oxalic acid, also called ethanedioic acid, a colourless, crystalline, toxic organic compound belonging to the family of carboxylic acids. Oxalic acid is widely used as an acid rinse in laundries, where it is effective in removing rust and ink stains because it converts most insoluble iron compounds into a soluble complex ion.
Is oxalic acid only an end product in metabolism?
World renowned cardiologist explains how with at home trick. Oxalic acid has been seen as an end product of the metabolism, and only plants have been reported to be able to metabolise oxalic acid. No, oxalic acid is not only an end product in metabolism.
How long do you treat bees with oxalic acid?
They said that they treated twice-a-year with oxalic acid vapor. They treat once in the Winter when colonies are naturally broodless, and once again in the late Summer after inducing an artificial state of broodlessness by caging their queens for 21 days.
How often should you treat bees with oxalic acid?
A common approach is to treat again 6 days later and then again another 6 days after that. Some beekeepers prefer a 5 day period but we're getting a little subjective at that point (another beekeeper debate topic right there!).
Can you feed bees when treating with oxalic acid?
Oxalic acid and glycerin for varroa mites For beekeepers who treat for varroa mites, oxalic acid has become the default favorite miticide. It is inexpensive, a natural component of honey, safe for bees when used as directed, and is drop-dead effective.
Is oxalic acid harmful to bees?
Honey bees have a low tolerance to Oxalic Acid. Overexposure can cause issues and death in the hive. As with any other treatment, some bee mortality may occur, especially if hive is already weak.
Does oxalic acid hurt 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.
What is the best varroa mite treatment?
The most popular essential oil for varroa mite control is thymol (from a thyme plant). While thymol treatment can effectively control mites on adult bees, it cannot penetrate the cell cappings, so does not control mites in brood cells. Efficacy of thymol is dependent on colony strength as well as ambient conditions.
How often should I treat for varroa 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.
Is oxalic acid approved for honey supers?
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 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.
Can you treat for Varroa 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 often should I treat for varroa 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.
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 in summer?
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 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.
How many mites per 100 bees?
The latest research suggests the economic threshold for Varroa is now three mites per 100 bees. In the old days, before the recently introduced viruses, small hive beetles, rising stresses from limited nutrition and growing toxin levels in the environment, upwards to 15 mites per 100 bees was considered tolerable.
How long does it take for a vaporizer to kill mites?
When it contacts the mites, it kills them. Each vaporizer is different. Some take only a few minutes to activate the acid, while others take a little longer. Since you don’t have to open the colony in order to treat, this seems to be the easier of the two methods to implement, especially on cold, rainy days.
Can you use 100% oxalic acid on bees?
If you start searching the internet for oxalic acid application in bees, there’s a whole host of information out there on recipes for taking 100% oxalic acid down (wood bleach) to the 2 or 3% recommended application concentrations. Some advice may be sound, but other advice can be reckless and dangerous to you and your bees.
Does interrupting the brood cycle help bees?
So, interrupting the brood cycle not only knocks down the mites (and the viruses vectored) prior to the Winter bees being reared, but reduces bee populations as well. Fewer mites equals improved health, and fewer bees equals less food consumed; both circumstances contribute directly to improved Winter survival.
Does phoretic mite work?
No; it only works on phoretic mites, i.e., those mites crawling around on the frames or adult bees. The mites breeding under the cappings of the brood cells are unaffected by oxalic administrations, as well as most other miticide products. Therefore, applications are most effective when no brood is present.
Is oxalic acid toxic?
Given its caustic effect on the eyes, skin and respiratory system, it’s labeled with the highest degree of toxicity, “Category 1.”. So, as with all pesticides, caution must be taken when handling it.
Is oxalic acid a fat soluble lipid?
Since it is not fat soluble ( a lipid), it doesn’t build up in wax comb. Back in 1957, it was registered as a pesticide (disinfectant/sanitizer), but, by 1994, the renewal of the product registration was cancelled. There are risks involved if you plan to use oxalic acid.
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.
How much OA water to use for bees?
Early use of OA by European beekeepers involved spraying each comb of bees in broodless colonies with a 2%-3% OA water solution. The technique was effective but time consuming since each comb covered with bees had to removed and sprayed on both sides for control.
Who is the apiary inspector in Maine?
Please read and follow the label. Remember, “The label is the law.”. Tony Jadczak is the State Apiary Inspector of Maine, and oversees the second biggest pollination event in the Universe when thousands of colonies come to Maine each May for wild blueberry pollination. Previous article Ask Phil.
Is OA good for broodless?
Research clearly demonstrates that OA is most effective in broodless colonies for both the trickle and fumigation techniques.
Is oxalic acid dihydrate toxic?
Although OA is considered an organic mite control, it has a ìDanger-Poisonî signal word on the label meaning it is highly toxic and corrosive.
Is oxalic acid toxic to bees?
The toxicity of oxalic acid (OA) to Varroa has been known for nearly three decades based on experiments conducted in Asia and later in Europe. The initial tests compared spraying weak OA solutions on bees, trickling OA sugar syrups into honey bee colonies and OA fumigation (vaporization). All of these methods demonstrated very high efficacy ...
Does sugar help bees?
It is thought that the sugar solution adheres to bees better or the sucrose makes the solution more hygroscopic. During the 1990s European bee researchers tested the effects of different OA concentrations and syrup solutions on both the mite and bees via the trickle method.
When to apply oxalic acid?
In the UK research has shown that between 10-25 December is the optimal time for applying Oxalic Acid with December 21/22 (Winter solstice) often often quoted as the best date. Typically, the Queen will start laying again in early January. Oxalic acid can be used on both natural and artificial swarms during their broodless period.
Why is my bee hive broodless?
When there is brood in the hive normally only about 15% of the mites are found on the bees. The rest are in the brood. So treat when colony is broodless. Another reason to ensure colony is broodless is that oxalic acid will kill open brood. It is difficult to judge when the hive is broodless.
When do bee colonies stop raising brood?
Most colonies stop raising brood when the temperature remains below 5C. After 3 weeks at temperatures below 5C the hive will be broodless. Hence, the beekeeper has to judge when they believe the longest sub-5C spell has come to an end and then treat.
Is oxalic acid poisonous?
Oxalic Acid is labelled as a poison and may be fatal if swallowed. It causes severe irritation to skin, eyes and the respiratory tract.
How to apply oxalic acid treatments
The most common way of applying oxalic acid is by trickling. For this, the oxalic acid solution is trickled with a syringe on the top bars of the frames at a dose of 5 ml per occupied frame. For instance, if your colonies occupies 5 frames, the right dose is 25 ml. If it’s on 8 frames you trickle 40 ml.
Good and bad applications
If I had to chose an application method, I would chose trickling. It’s quick and easy. If the handling with a syringe bothers you, there are also applicators which are easier to handle. Sublimating oxalic acid is as efficient and safe for the bees, too. However, the user safety isn’t as high as with trickling.
When to treat with oxalic acid
Now that you know how to treat, the next step is knowing the right moment. Oxalic acid acts only on the mites on the adult bees. Therefore, it’s a treatment for colonies without brood. This can be a natural break in winter or during drought periods in summer. But it’s also possible to produce an artificial break by caging the queen.
Sweet and sour – misunderstandings about oxalic acid treatments
The first available recipes or products for treating against varroa with oxalic acid by trickling always indicated that the solution must be prepared with sugar (sucrose, to be exact, the same sugar you use in cakes or your coffee). Beekeepers often think that it’s for making it more attractive for the bees.
An issue and a solution
There’s a caveat, though. Oxalic acid solutions with sugar don’t remain stable for long time. After a few days, the solution gets brownish. This is a sign that the sugar degraded in presence of the acid. The concentration of HMF, a substance that results when sugar degrades in an acid environment, increases.
Why you should know the science behind oxalic acid treatments
If you got this far: congratulations! It’s for a reason I told you all this science stuff: I want you to make good and informed decisions. Oxalic acid is the most efficient treatment we have against the varroa mite. Also the most flexible one. Beekeepers worldwide use it, in hot or cold regions alike.
What is oxalic acid used for?
USDA and EPA are receiving questions from stakeholders regarding a recent tolerance exemption for oxalic acid, a pesticide used to control parasitic mites of honey bees ( Apis mellifera). A tolerance is the legal limit for a chemical residue in or on a food. The in-hive use of oxalic acid to control Varroa mites ( Varroa destructor) ...
Is bioxal a FIFRA?
Oxalic acid (API-Bioxal™) is still registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), and its application must adhere to EPA label requirements. The oxalic acid (API-Bioxal™) label is currently undergoing amendments by EPA to expand the in-hive use to year-round. Use of oxalic acid that does not adhere to ...
Can you use bioxal on honey supers?
No, users of oxalic acid (API-Bioxal™) must adhere to the label supplied with the product. 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 ...
Can beekeepers use honey supers year round?
However, beekeepers can only legally begin using this product year-round once a supplemental label and/or the new amended label is included with the product packaging.
Is oxalic acid off 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. Further, off-label patterns of use may be detrimental to the user, honey bees, the environment, and products of the hive.
An Effective and Popular Treatment
What Is Oxalic acid?
- Much of the debate around the use of treatments by beekeepers focuses on the use of harsh chemicals in the hive. Indeed, some commonly used treatments are based on unnatural chemicals and any beekeeper following natural beekeeping principles will likely have an aversion against such treatments. Oxalic acid, however, is entirely natural.It is an organic compound foun…
How Does It Work?
- Truth be told, it's not entirely understood why oxalic acid is so effective in treating Varroa. But the most popular theory is that it enters the mite through its feet (yes, really!) and then moves into the bloodstream. From that point the mite is a goner! Meanwhile, bees don't have a particularly adverse reaction to the correct application of oxalic acid. When we choose oxalic acid as a treat…
Oxalic Acid Cautions
- Handle oxalic acid with care
Let's start with the easy-to-explain bit - you need to be careful around oxalic acid. It is irritating to the eyes, mouth and skin. It also has a bitter taste (we don't suggest you test that!). Indeed, it is labeled with the highest degree of toxicity, “Category 1”. Click here to see the EPA label for the u… - Avoid use during the honey flow
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.
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 against Varroa in capped brood. This, of course, has im…
Popular Methods For Applying Oxalic Acid
- So, you've decided to treat with oxalic acid. How do you do this? There are a few different ways in which oxalic acid can be applied. Two popular options are the dribble and vaporization methods. Let's take a look at these two options.