OA JB200 - Feedback from anyone using it ?

[MikeGillmore]

I am preparing to order a JB200 vaporizer and was hoping to get feedback from any of you who have been using this unit - to share your experience, track record, tips, etc.
I've read many of the archived posts on OA .... including the pros, cons, warnings, and alternate mite control methods.... and have decided that for my purposes this unit seems to be the safest(for beekeeper & bees) and least intrusive method of mite treatment using OA.
I look forward to hearing from some of you who have first hand experience with this vaporizer and how it's working for you.

[dickm]

I have one and have used it 3 years on 20 hives. I like it. If I were ordering today I'd look at the Varrox machine from Europe. It costs double but looks a lot heavier and more durable.

Dickm

[MikeGillmore]

Thanks Dick,
When do you normally use the vaporizer? Do you have a fixed annual program or do you use it on an "as needed" basis?

[jean-marc]

I used it this year for the first time. I purchased several of them and with 2 4D batteries 2 guys could treat about 400 a day. It took awhile to get things going. Get heavy gauge wire from the JB 200 to the battery. Keep the wire short, you'll probably want a switch in there too. Get a heavy duty one. I got a marine grade one. If you are only doing a few hives I think this is probably a good system. For commercial beekeepers I'm not sure that I'll use this system next year.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Jean-Marc

[db_land]

I've used a JB200 for about 2.5 years. Cons: Flimsy construction and cost a lot (my guess is it cost about $5 to build this device). Pros: Does a good job vaporizing the OA and treating mites when the hive is broodless. I treated 58 hives this fall. Keep wires from battery to JB200 short and heavy gauge. :cool:

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I bought two of them in 2003 and ran them off a 12 volt battery with heavy extension cords and DC switches. As noted by db, kind of flimsy and takes a bit of tinkering to keep the pan tight and you will need to do a little cleaning between hives for optimal preformance.

My experiance in using them show a great knockdown of mites. I still had a twenty percent loss rate last winter but I think it was due to small nucs and hives that should have been combined.

Life got hectic for me around Laborday and I have been lucky to just get the girls fed and the trays in this fall. I had been concerned about my mite loads as I haven't had time to monitor them. Yesterday I was able to check the trays I installed the first of November and found between zero and six mites on the trays, this was no treatment at all this year. The only thing I can think of is natural selection, (letting the weak die out as I have been doing for the last few years), or the fact that the hives are all Permacomb, and the downsized 5.1 cell size is enough help for the bees to handle the mites.

[Ian]

>>If you are only doing a few hives I think this is probably a good system. For commercial beekeepers I'm not sure that I'll use this system next year.

jean-marc, I need to know the actual reason you will not use this system again next year. I can only assume that the ability to treat 400 hives in a day with another help is well within the commercial beekeepers time standards, mine anyway. I think if the treatment is effective, and can be managed to accomidate larger operations, cheaply, it is worth a little extra work,
What is your plans to treat next year?

[MikeGillmore]

I appreciate all of your responses. I've gone ahead and ordered the jb200 and it should be here next week.

Based on your feedback, it sounds like it is a very effective method for mites in broodless conditions, although it sounds like it is a tempermental and flimsy unit. For just a handful of hives it should be just fine.

In my mind I can justify the cost.... if it saves one hive, it's paid for itself. It sounds like it really does work and it's not just a fish story.

Hopefully this will help keep the hives going while I go through the requeening and sc regression process.

Again, thanks for your responses !

jean-marc... I'm curious about what you are planning to switch to also.

[jean-marc]

Ian and others:

[jean-marc]

Ian and others:

I purchased 18 jb 200. I purchased 2 4d batteries( about twice the size of a regular car battery). I purchased a small generator. I got a mechanic to wire toggle switches and plug-ins. I have my hives on pallets of 4. The jb 200 plugged into a 4 pack with it's own switch and alligator clips to release quickly from the battery. The battery was mounted on one of those red dolly's with pneumatic tires. One guy could set up the next 4 jb 200's. When the first 4 were done the battery was moved to the next 4. We worked with 12 jb 200's .This allowed the first 4 to cool down and no oxalic vapours in the air when we moved them around.

[jean-marc]

Ian:

To get to the speed of 400 a day took awhile 2 weeks or so. It took that time to figure out short cords and heavy gauge wire. It made me crazy. The system is kinda messy, lotsa cords to trip on. I treated 3 times because we had lotsa mites, some brood and I'm pretty sure I averted a big time loss.

Willie of Medivet is making an evaporator. It is handheld and lightweight. It has a soap dispensing plastic bottle mounted on top of the unit. Every time the dispenser is pulled back the apprpriated amount of oxalic drops onto a heating element (3 different settings for nucs,singles, doubles)and activates a fan for 15 seconds. The heating element is not allowed to cool off. Each hive is treated in 15 seconds. Patents are getting put in place as we speak and procution starts this spring. I saw it at the Alberta convention, at the time he thought about $800 Cdn each. He is trying to get costs down in the mass production, however this is very limited market.

I was impressed with the unit. Lightweight, sturdy, fast delivery, parts are easily interchangeable in the field if need be. Oh yeah the nozzle fits in the entance reducer. I think the price is reasonable.If I had more than 200 hives I would probably get one of these. Share one with a neighbour to offset the initial cost.
One big advantage is 1 guy can work alone and he is packing a battery or 2 and a small unit and could probably be leaving a yard of 32 hives 20 minutes after arrival time. This is a guess as I have not tried Willie's unit yet. In order that I treat 400 in a day it includes very little travel time, maximum 2 yards. I keep more hives in a yard than most beekeepers.

Happy New-Year

Jean-Marc

[Axtmann]

Happy New-Year

I work with two JB200, the first (2003) was flimsy but the second (2005) are ok. Both works for me, and they are IMO the best (method / treatments / result) I worked with since the first Varroa arrived in my hives in 1979.


http://mypage.bluewin.ch/SGGL/apistar/apistar.htm#be05

Liquid OA in a fogger, one filling enough for one-hour treatment. Working with this method the beekeeper has to treat the colony at least 5 times 3-4 day apart.

Each treatment takes 3 minutes to get the right amount into the hive. It might get faster with a second hole in the hive and a double hose.

This fogger works with 240 or 12 volt.

[Ben Brewcat]

For powering one, could you just run a jumper from car battery w/ extension cables?

[drobbins]

I made extension cables from stereo speaker wire
not the skinny stuff, the thicker stuff that's become popular lately
each strand is ~1/8"
multistranded wire like that is very flexible and easy to handle and also has very low resistance

Dave

[BerkeyDavid]

Ben:

Yes. Although easier if you connect some wire between the unit and the cables, so you aren't so close to the hive. The wires on the unit are only a few inches long.

[drobbins]

here's my setup

http://www.drobbins.net/bee's/dsc01233.jpg

just connect the clamps to any 12 volt battery

Dave

[Ian]

Thanks jean-marc!!

[jean-marc]

Ian

No problem.

Jean-Marc

[Ian]

A fellow from Alberta was chatting on this fourm last year, Terry Grimshaw I think. He was developing much the same devide you talk of, but he figured the cost would be the thousands.
800$ is not an expensive device to buy, providing it is a quick and efficient treatment tool. Hell, I spend more than that in a year on strips!!

[Ben Brewcat]

Thanks gang; drobbins, that's just what I had in my noodle!

[jean-marc]

Terry Greidanus has more or less given up on his unit. The metering valve kind of blew up. Hot liquid oxalic acid under pressure scared him off.
I know that Josh Cowen was trying to improve upon Terry's idea. He has also run into troubles with hot liquid oxalic acid. It is very corrosive and only few materials can withstand it's corrosive nature.

The apparatus that Willie B. is making is not pressurized, therefore much safer for the operator.

Jean-Marc

[MikeGillmore]

I want to thank you all again for your feedback. I've treated 2 times so far with this vaporizer and the results are astounding. If the weather co-operates, as it has over the past 2 weeks, I hope to get 1 or 2 more treatments in and that should take care of any newly emerged bees. I didn't see any adverse effects on the bees and it was fairly easy to administer without digging into the hive. Hopefully this will get them off to a good start this spring.
They must have improved the quality of the unit somewhat because this one does not seem to be too flimsy.... not the strongest looking piece of equipment I've ever seen, but it's holding up nice.
Thanks again

[ January 13, 2006, 07:27 PM: Message edited by: MikeGillmore ]