[aunt betty]

Savogran wood bleach? I may have used it (allegedly).

If you want to be legal legal you have to purchase an Oxalic Acid product that is labeled for use on honey bees. Some sort of federal law says you have to use products for the intended use as labeled.

 

[Stephenpbird]

Stephen do you know any reliable sources on the net about how to treat with 85% formic acid? Thanks!

Eduardo most use this off the shelf dispenser http://www.biovet.ch/en/Imkerei/liebig-dispenser.html
I have used it and it gives excellent results IF the weather/temperature is within the recommended range. That is the Achilles heal when using Formic acid.
They about 6 euros so not cheap, using a medical dropper bottle works just a well with the right size paper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmhN8TtD5GA

 

[svarog]

When applying oxal acid make sure to follow these criterias:
-2 grams per hive (Or 3 in some cases)
-Temperature should not drop under 180 degrees celsius!

 

[sjj]

... know the purity ...

Some say:

know the freshness!

For OAD buy a fresh stuff. Not older than 3 years.

 

[Eduardo Gomes]

Eduardo most use this off the shelf dispenser http://www.biovet.ch/en/Imkerei/liebig-dispenser.html

Thank you Stephen.

 

[emrude]

Savogran wood bleach? I may have used it (allegedly).

If you want to be legal legal you have to purchase an Oxalic Acid product that is labeled for use on honey bees. Some sort of federal law says you have to use products for the intended use as labeled.

Right next to the one that says "Do not remove this label under penalty of law."
I want to make it clear that I have never removed a label, and I only use Savogran wood bleach as a woodworker. :no::no:


Sorry about your bees.

Mary

 

[AG Fresh]

Some say:

know the freshness!

For OAD buy a fresh stuff. Not older than 3 years.

Thats a great call, I will definately check the date on the bottle!

 

[snapper1d]

I would really like to know how many people really believe the EPA is sitting out there watching their hives waiting for you to come and treat them and look to see what your are using and where it came from plus looking to see if you have removed the labels.People dont worry so much and just take care of your bees.You will enjoy them and be a lot happier!!! The EPA has much much bigger fish they would rather catch than a hobby beekeeper.

 

[Mike Gillmore]

Some say:

know the freshness!

For OAD buy a fresh stuff. Not older than 3 years.

This is something I have never thought about. I didn't realize Oxalic Acid was perishable or had an expiration date. How does it "go bad"?

 

[Dave Burrup]

It is hygroscopic. When it becomes wet it does not sublimate properly. I do not understand they why. It would seem to me that applying heat would drive off the water and not be a problem, but apparently it is. Maybe the addition of water changes the molecule. ???

 

[sc-bee]

I liked the idea of a single tab dose and with my fumbling hands, bad eyesite, in PPE, handling an acid, and for .20 cents its my best choice. I like options.

Go to the pharmacy and get the smallest pill bottle(s) they have. Ahead of time Measure 1 gram/1/4 tsp doses in each bottle.
A lot of bottles will fit in a gallon zip lock. Not a 20 cent pill but in a pill bottle

 

[Richard Cryberg]

This is something I have never thought about. I didn't realize Oxalic Acid was perishable or had an expiration date. How does it "go bad"?

Stored in the original glass or plastic bottle from the manufacturer and held at room temperature oxalic acid is going to be fine for thousands of years. I have some that is 25 years old that is just fine. It is too acidic to allow anything to grow on it. It does not spontaneously degrade all by itself at room temp.

There may be an expiration date on the container. That is meaningless drivel. The government will not accept expiration dates older than two or three years so manufacturers put a date on that is acceptable to the government so they can sell to the government. Table salt will have such a short expiration date on it and we all know it does not degrade in millions of years. If it did we would not have salt mines.

Dick

 

[Kuro]

I am not a chemist but I guess if you let your OA powder (hygroscopic) wet, it will degrade to something someday (oxalic acid in aqueous solution is not super-stable (https://www.apimondia.com/congresses/2001/Papers/266.pdf). I keep my original bottle indoors in dry, cool, dark place. I transfer the amount needed to a small bottle to take outside and throw it away after finishing OAV treatment for the season.

 

[BadBeeKeeper]

Go to the pharmacy and get the smallest pill bottle(s) they have. Ahead of time Measure 1 gram/1/4 tsp doses in each bottle.
A lot of bottles will fit in a gallon zip lock. Not a 20 cent pill but in a pill bottle

Hey, that's a good idea...though there may be something cheaper than pill bottles.

When I used to do Revolutionary War re-enactments, we had small plastic vials (smaller that the muzzle of a flintlock rifle/musket) which we would pre-load with a measured amounts of black powder. Loading was faster and easier, just dump a vial down the barrel and ram a patch, then prime the pan; no guesswork, all charges equal.

I'd bet that such clear plastic vials would be cheaper than pill bottles.

 

[mgstei1]

Tabs from the Italians. Way easier and exact charge. Europeans still the SME's using OA.

 

[mac]

I think his table is for the dribble method. 45 grams ox to 600 L water 600 grams sugar. So I went to west marine to buy wood bleach and they had Oxalic acid and I guess it must b the pure stuff Randy was talking about. So I mixed a batch and did 3 hives one with a sticky board for a count. And I killed bees and more bees and more bees. Sooooooooooo 7/10 of 45 grams is what I should have used after going back and re reading his info. Anyone know what 7/10 of 45 is??? Like 6 grams I think

 

[clyderoad]

31.5 g.

 

[mac]

31.5 thanks

 

[johno]

I have got to the end of my OA and ordered more, on opening the container I found the OA looks quite damp not like the stuff I had before. The stuff I had before would form lumps but if the container was well shaken it would return to a powder and would be easy to pour. This new stuff will not shake to a powder, lumps have to be physically broken and remain damp. The dose in the scoop has to be knocked out of the scoop. As I have just vaporized 11 colonies we will wait and see. I am also heating the OA to about 100F to see if it will dry out. I also went to the local store and bought a container of Savogram to check and found it to be wet as well, the last time I used Savogram it was quite dry so I am wondering if there is a new supplier on the block.
Johno

 

[snl]

This new stuff will not shake to a powder, lumps have to be physically broken and remain damp. The dose in the scoop has to be knocked out of the scoop. I also went to the local store and bought a container of Savogram to check and found it to be wet as well, the last time I used Savogram it was quite dry so I am wondering if there is a new supplier on the block.
Johno

What you're describing is all I ever purchased, tho not to the extent that it had to be knocked out of the scoop. It was always lumpy and needed to broken. I've never had Savogran that was quite dry, it was always lumpy and reformed into lumps once I had broken it down and it say a while.