[alfred westlake]

THis is all great info.
THanks everyone for chiming in.
I would love to get one of your devices Johno, but I understand you are backed way up on production.
I may have to try my hand at making one myself.
Any tips or guidance...???
I am reading through the entire thread now.
Clearly should have done this BEFORE.



THanks

 

[msl]

Msl, I have no idea how the research on the OA dosage was carried out, or whether this would be effected in any way by actual field conditions and hive setups.

I posted the link :scratch:

Trials were carried out in winter, January 2013, using 110 honey bee colonies located in 10 apiaries at or within 20 km of the University of Sussex in southern England. The colonies were all in hives consisting of a single “commercial” brood chamber (11 frames each 43.8 x 25.4 cm, vol. 56.4 l), wooden bottom board with mesh floor, inner cover, and telescopic outer cover.

Hive inspections approximately four weeks before the trials were used to exclude any queenless colonies. Subsequent hive inspections approximately three weeks before the experimental trials showed that c. 90% of the colonies did not have any brood. The other 10% had small amounts of sealed or open brood, which was removed 1–2 days later using a honey fork. As a result, all varroa mites in all colonies were phoretic on the adult bees.

Toufailia Et Al 2016

Any tips or guidance...???

I found this list handy https://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?332394-Band-heater-vaporizer&p=1746979#post1746979

 

[Robert Holcombe]

I would be very careful with the increased dosage logic. There are issues and limits. One of Dr. Ellis's reports showed redistribution or "spreading" of OA by bees in a short period of time. One thing that amazes me is the ability of the vapor to find any "leak" or vent to the outside or broken propolis joints. This especially shows up in new boxes when I chip a dovetail joint. I am curious about your average rate of OAV'ing per hive in minutes including all motions and preparing. I average 12 minutes per hive total including moving and preparation time using a Varrox wand. My hive pairs are spaced out with 100 Ft. + between sets. I have thought of buying a second Vorrox to cut the time required to OAV per hive.

 

[Biermann]

Hello Robert,

I did use a 12VDC wand too, one fall and then I had enough of this process. The Band heater vaporizer works so much better and quicker. The best thing is to treat from the side or back, no bees that bother you or vis versa.

Also, not putting all the valuable and scientific pro's and con's down, but the vaporizer work, the bees are as healthy as with apivar and it treats for pennies when I want it done. No waiting time or strip removal etc.

Time depends a little on the ambient temperature, affecting the heat loss from the band heater. I build this for two years: it did see some updates over the time and works pretty quick. No way going back to a wand. Once going, 30 seconds to a minute per hive, preparing the loads is the bigger holdup then treating.

 

[Rogue26]

I just finished building my temperature controlled unit and am using the band heater that JohnO recommends. My first time turning it on and testing the heat up process I got a lot of colored smoke coming from the band heater. I was just wondering if others have experienced this? I purchased two heaters and they both did it. After the initial heating to a little over 450 the smoke stopped and I am not getting it when reheating. Just thinking it is burning off something from the manufacturing process but thought I would ask about others experience.

Thanks

 

[trj]

Should be just the volatiles outgassing

 

[Biermann]

Hello Rogue26, the manufacturers say to not heat them up to full load at startup. I use mine with 135°C first, check recovery with water several times and then go to the 204°C, 400°F. It is, as trj says, the winding's gasing volatile's of from the manufacturing process. It is normal.

 

[jmobee]

I like the new 120vac band heater method. The speed that it can be applied; and the minimizing of "upsetting" of the bees during application are the pluses. The cost and the need for 120vac are negatives. The 120vac on the band heater can become a shock hazard if a short occurs and a good ground is not maintained and/or using a ground fault detector. Depending on the PID controller output, if a relay is used most are limited to 3A max and are mechanical (can wear on pit). Probably the reason some units are limited to 250watts (2+ amps at 120vac). This requires the heat up time to be about 6 mins, but once heated the unit can keep up during usage (~15 to 20 sec recovery after each shot into a hive). I have made my own and can keep up with 3 of them doing 12 hives in groups of 4. I.E. start a unit in hive1, then 1 in hive5, and then 1 in hive9. By this time hive1 is done and the vaporizer is move to hive2, and the nest to hive6; etc. I use kitchen timers with a 10min count down for each hive. As the nit is stuck in the hive, I start a timer. By the time I finish with the insertion in to 12, the alarm is going off for hive1; etc. After 12 are done, take a breather before moving on to the next 12. During application the nozzle may be come clogged and a small "pocket" screw drive can be used to ream them out. I have not drilled the holes in the back of the bottom board 3/4 rim. I have made up entrance sticks (12ea as a minimum) to close up the hive with a ~3/8" hole. The sticks are slightly beveled alone the long edge to wedge into the entrance and the ends at ~45deg angle to seal at either end. My bottom landing board extended to the outer edge of the hive body (I run 8 frame size hive ~15" outside ~12.5" x 3/4" entrance).

 

[OBG]

Good morning, please check your messages and reply? Thank you.

 

[msl]

Built the hydrocynus version from the parts list in post #869

I felt I was getting too much splatter from the bottom mounted tube, especially when treating 2-3 brood chamber hives, It felt like much wasted OA and the didn't feal like I was over flowing the hive and pushing "vapor" (dust) out all the cranks
As luck would have it 3/16" tubing press fits in to the back of the "1/8" NPT MALE STRAIGHT TO 1/4" HOSE PORT NIPPLE" so I bent up a "snorkel" and put it in to keep the intake above the boil level.
end result much more "vapor" output and no white splatter

 

[jmobee]

The unit I made has the "snout" coming out ~1/2" from the top edge at a 45deg, running down the side of the cup and bend at a 90deg to go in to the hive. The main cup is surround by a 2nd copper sleeve around the cup to allow the tube to be under the bolts that hold the heater on the vaporizer. This keeps the snout heated down the outside of the cup and gives good vapor cloud into the hive. The extra copper sleeve give more heat sink for the preheat to ~235C and then give it up to the vaporization. The tube into the hive shouldn't be more than 3/4" to prevent "freeze off" of the tip. I still keep a pocket screw driver to ram out the tip as necessary. I run 3 units at a time, setting up groups of 4 hives for a total of 12 hives. Have a entrance stick and timer for each hive (12 ea). I start 1st, then 5th, and 9th with a 10min timer on top of each. By the time the 9th is started the 1st vaporizer is move to the 2nd, then the 5th to the 6th; etc. By the time the 12th is started the 1st timer is going off and so on. Then I move them setup to the next 12; etc. I use to run 2 sets of 6 pan vaps using 6 battery chargers and timers to shut down the chargers at 3min and alarm at 10min. The pan chargers can really "upset" the bees and many can come out when pulling the pans. "Mean" hives can cover your hands! The copper cups kill less bees than pans in the hive and when removing the snout from the 1/4" hole in the entrance stick the bees don't follow it out. Bees on the outside returning to the hive stay away from the hot cup and there is not a cloth rag with returning bees to kept in place when removing the pans. I'm doing my bees 4 weeks in Jul after spring flow removed, once at the ~Oct after fall flow removed and one at the end of Nov depending on the weather. If the weather is good (above 50degF) I intend to do them again in ~Feb-Mar. The copper cup is "SO EASY".
I run screened bottom boards with shelf slid in bottom to hold sticky papers. When vaping hive, I have an ~4" corrugated plastic extension fasten to bottom of the sticks into the hives to help allow the vapor up into the hive. I have setup 3 medium 8fr supper with frame and drawn wax, a bottom, and a top (I run this as my hive bodies in lieu of 2 large bodies) and ran vap cycle. The frames have been dusted and some vapor out the top cracks. If 115vac is available, via of extension, ~1KVA generator, or maybe and inverter battery setup, I think the copper cup is the way to go at this time if have ~4 or more hives.

 

[Biermann]

Hello jmobee,

I use 1 1/4" K-type copper pipe with a welded plug on the bottom. My latest version is a bottom 3/16 treating tube about 3/8" from the bottom of the bowl and it carries through in the bowl up the opposite wall and ends about 3/8" under the silicon plug. I open the silicon plugs up to 5/8" diameter since I noticed OA hanging up in the plug if it is to small.

I use 300 watt heat bands from PPE in Ohio.



We are now on our 110.04 model with shortened bowl, from 3" height to 2 1/4".

The PID controller does allow for quick treating of the hives and a on/off switch can turn the head band off if the user wants to hold treatment, needs to make setting adjustments or wants to have a break without interrupting the power supply to the unit.

 

[piggybackcash]

Thanks
that's what I thought I saw in the 1st picture, but I was 2nd guessing that it may come in on the side of the plug so it could be tapped and mounted to the AL stock
most of the parts came in today!

I can help you with more detailed pictures if you want. Did you buy the plugs too? I had that plug for another project (glad it fitted perfectly after I sanded the threads). It is not expensive, but they generally sell them in bulk. So, adding the plug would add to the cost. Look for mocaps.com. My plug was made by another company (reason why it is clear silicone and not red). I do not recall the name of the company but there are a few companies out there that make hollowed silicone caps.

Can you show pictures of the bottom of the cookout where the sensor goes and the coupler attaches I ordered the same aluminum 1/14 parts as you in addition to the 1” ones since they were so cheap.

 

[piggybackcash]

Built the hydrocynus version from the parts list in post #869

I felt I was getting too much splatter from the bottom mounted tube, especially when treating 2-3 brood chamber hives, It felt like much wasted OA and the didn't feal like I was over flowing the hive and pushing "vapor" (dust) out all the cranks
As luck would have it 3/16" tubing press fits in to the back of the "1/8" NPT MALE STRAIGHT TO 1/4" HOSE PORT NIPPLE" so I bent up a "snorkel" and put it in to keep the intake above the boil level.
end result much more "vapor" output and no white splatter

Can you
Post a picture/visual of the ****pit? Top , bottom and inside? Showing temp probe and mounting as well as the tubing you mentioned?

 

[KenNashua]

I've just recently gotten a 3d printer, so wanted to share with whoever would find it helpful the grip I printed for my band heater. There's some pictures on Thingiverse as well of my assembled band heater.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4287465

 

[msl]

nice!

 

[ptwat]

I've just recently gotten a 3d printer, so wanted to share with whoever would find it helpful the grip I printed for my band heater. There's some pictures on Thingiverse as well of my assembled band heater.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4287465

Nice grip. I had started to do something like this and never finished it- now I don't have to. You may know this, but if you slice this in Cura you can check "Fuzzy Skin" under Experimental settings and get a nice non-slip surface on the grip.

Btw, I have a 3D printable box/housing that the Mypin PID controller slides into. I have several different tops and bottoms to the box as my design has evolved with strain relief holes, fuse holder holes and on/off switch holes. I can post it on thingiverse if you are interested.

 

[Zadriel]

My parts list with sourcing:
Parts list:
44705K89 (McMaster-Carr) (Low-Pressure Aluminum Pipe Fitting, Straight Connector, 1-1/4 NPT Female $4.40
7280K14 (McMaster-Carr) Threaded Hole Plug, 1-1/4 NPT $4.71
B073F3SG18 (Amazon) 1/8" NPT MALE STRAIGHT TO 1/4" HOSE BARB NIPPLE Blue ALUMINUM FITTING $6.99
B007IB5D5Q(Amazon) and Heater, 2 In. Dia., 120V, 900 Deg F $40.46
PC5R-ABT1 (Amazon) Dual Display Manual/Auto-tuning PID Temperature Controller TA4-RNR $23.99
MHSP1.469/1.750 (Amazon) Silicone Hollow Tapered Plugs - Orange 1.469/1.750 Hollow Silicone Plug, Red-Oxide MOCAP MHSP1.469/1.750 (qty5) $5.27 /ea
B0797JWQ1R (Amazon) Century Drill and Tool 93201 1/8-27 NPT, 21/64" Tap & Drill Combo
B00OUS78X0 (Amazon) 2M K Type Mini-Connector Yellow Or Orange Thermocouple Temperature Probe Sensor Measure Range -50~700°C (Pack of 5) $2.53/ea
(Home Depot) deep electrical box
(Home Depot) box cover plate
(Home Depot) 2" pipe hanger
(Home Depot) grounded electrical cord

Alex this is an awesome parts list. A couple of quick questions. I notice you don't include any kind of relay... solid state NOR mechanical. Did you put one of the two on and just not include it? Also, I notice you mention a fuse in another location of 3amp I think, but I also don't see that in your list. Are there any other parts missing from your list? And has anybody put together a step by step with any of this or do we have to read all 43 pages? Thanks so much!

 

[johno]

Hi Keith, I have replied to your message twice now but do not see it in my sent items so I am not sure if you have received my replies.

 

[Zadriel]

Hi Keith, I have replied to your message twice now but do not see it in my sent items so I am not sure if you have received my replies.

Thanks so much! But It is not showing up in my in box here. You may also email me at zadriel AT aol