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My Oxalic Acid Vaporizer

55K views 114 replies 22 participants last post by  Tim B 
#1 ·
Hi all,
I have been researching oxalic acid vaporizers. This is what I built and wanted your opinions on it. I made everythingg from scrap I had in my shop. The box is a shallow supper that I screwed up and cut the boards too narrow. The first two pics show it set up for use with a portable propane torch. The last pic shows it set up for 12 volt use. All the copper fittings are tig welded for an air tight joint.
Let me know what you think,
Thanks all,
Caleb

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#3 ·
That is nice. I like things that are built well. Did you use real glass? I would imagine it will work really well from what I have seen other people doing on you tube and such. I wonder if someone has a screened bottom board if that throws off the fumigation. Will you make a video of this in use next?
Nice Job!!!
 
#4 ·
Hi
Thank you for the kind words.
Over the past couple of of talking to people and studying designs online I decided that I liked this design. Not saying that this one is any better than any other design. I like being able to see what's going on in the hive through the glass window. After testing it out I do think at some point I will cut the height of the box down some. I did notice after the OA is vaporized that I can remove the combustion chamber and use an unlit smoker to pump air into the hive pushing the vapors every where.
It is real glass in the window though I suspect plexiglas would have worked fine. I am running screened bottom boards. My thinking was once the vapors start to cool the OA should start to recrystlize and fall. Hopefully coating everything through out the hive. I'll see if I can post a video.
Thanks
Caleb
 
#5 ·
Hi, Making it a bit shallower would line up with another video I saw but if it is working well than I wouldn't think it would matter that much. The unlit smoker Ideas is a great Idea for pushing the vapor through. From what I have heard the oxalic vapor works excellent. Ya have to watch out not to breathe it in. I have seen a few videos of this process but I would like to see your technique. Your box is the nicest one I have seen. Does the vapor kill the small hive beetles too?
 
#9 ·
Hi all,
I'll post some more pics and info on my 12V setup today.
The OA vapor will take care of Varroa and Tracheal mites but doesn't take care of small hive beetles or wax moths. I wished it did but if the bees stay mite free and strong they can handle the shb and wax moths.
Heated copper will off gas but the biggest amount of gas is oxygen. The rest is inert gas. Brass and aluminum should be fine too. I would stay away from black iron and galVanized pipe as they do release some bad gas when heated.
Thanks,
Caleb
 
#12 ·
More pics and info.
The research I have done by talking to people, everyone tells me that OA will kill varroa and tracheal mites. Right now I can not say for 100% sure that it will.

I tig welded my joints basicaly because I could. A high temp solder or braze should work fine as long as the joint can take 300-315*F of heat. This is the temp that OA vaporizes. Tig welding the joints I know for certain that they will hold. Please disreguard the huge blob of filler material you can see in one of my welds. It's ugly but will hold just fine, I should have ground it down to help the looks.

In the bottom pic is my 12V set-up. It just an old extention cord, two battery clamps, a piece of 1" aluminum, wire ring connectors, two set screws and a glow plug. I used a Champion CH69 glow plug but an Autolite 1104 will work too. One end of the aluminum is threaded for the 1/2" pipe and bored for a combustion chamber to put the OA in. The other end is bored to accept the glow plug. I turned the threads off the glow plug and a set screw holds it in place. This way I dont ever have to worry about the threads gallding in the aluminum. Hot wire hooked to the glow plug and a ground wire hooked to the body of the device.

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#14 ·
The aluminum piece is not bored all the way through. There is about 3/8" of aluminum between the combustion chamber where the OA goes and the glow plug. OA never touches the glow plug. The OA vaporizes pretty clean with very little residue.

I really don't know what it would cost to build this set-up as I built it out of stuff I already had around my shop but I would guess a lot cheaper than $175. I have a small machine shop with different welders, torches, a lathe and mill so I can build a lot of things myself. A vaporizer to use with a propane torch can be built for a few bucks.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Very interesting, I may have to look into this. I have the Country Rubes SBB with the oil tray in right now and they have a port on the back of the base (for the smoker) I may be able to put the vaporized OA in through. How much do you use in a regular dose? 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp. etc. I think this implementation will be much more cost effective. Thanks for sharing!

Update I have found both plugs mentioned $10-15 and the OA $10 (wood bleach which works fine per Mike Bush) on Amazon.
 
#16 ·
Everything I have read or been told says 1 gram of OA per deep. I use a 3/8" copper pipe cap and a 1/2" copper pipe cap. Both have a short piece of stainless steel tig rod soldered to them for a handle. The 3/8" cap will hold nearly exactly 1 gram and the 1/2" cap will hold 2.2 grams. From my research you would have to really try to overdose a hive, something like 8 grams per deep for an overdose.

I bought my OA on EBay. $12 for two pound. That much should last for years.
 
#17 ·
Thanks Shadow for the detailed info, I have a stainless steel tube and propane torch that I have been using to vaporize on top of the hives but I have been wanting something that I could place into the entrance which has a controlled heat and this might just be the ticket.....Bill
 
#22 ·
Use a rust free steel pipe or aluminium and not copper. If you're not cleaning you copper pipe very careful you will have copper acetate in your next treatment. This is very healthy when the fumes come in contact with your honey.
Evaporate from the bottom, oxalic acid vapour goes up in the air and not down. After the treatment you will have microscopic fine acid drops in you hive and not crystals. That's because of the humidity in the hive. If mites come in contact with this moistures it kill the mites. The vapour does not kill tracheal mites
 
#24 ·
Lol. If I ever get this thing completly figured out I may have to send out a few test models Mr.Beeman.

Thanks for the info Axtmann. I didn't know about the copper and acid mix would make copper acetate. I do know that plain black iron or galvinized pipe would be a no-no. Here what info I do have:
Aluminum melts at 1220*F and vaporizes at 4566*F. Well above the 300-315*F to vaporize OA. At low temperatures aluminum produces no toxic gases.
Stainless steel since it's an alloy melts at a broad temperature, depending on the specific alloy content. Stainless steel, 304 316 & 416, should remain inert below 800*F and produce no toxic gas. Oxalic acid is used to clean stainless steel.
Looks like I'm gonna have to rebuild with SS or AL.
 
#25 ·
I got a few numbers today on my 12V set up.
Using the 12V battery on my John Deere Gator, 230 cranking amps.
Temperature here today was 84*F.
15 sec- 95*F
30 sec- 115*F
45 sec- 152*F
1 min- 195*F
1:15- 225*F
1:30- 265*F
1:45- 300*F
2:00- 328*F
Should do better with a larger battery with 700-800 cranking amps.
 
#30 ·
Cool. What are you using for a heating element?


You should see the same temps over time regardless of the cranking amp size of 12 volt battery connected. The results should be fine like you have it as all oxalic acid should sublimate in 3 minutes.
Thanks for the info. I couldn't remember if the cranking amps or the cold cranking amps would make a difference. I'll do the test again later and post the results.
 
#29 ·
You should see the same temps over time regardless of the cranking amp size of 12 volt battery connected. The results should be fine like you have it as all oxalic acid should sublimate in 3 minutes.
 
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