[johng]

I was doing some reading on a link I picked up from another thread. This one http://www.scientificbeekeeping.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=58

My question? Is Oxailc Acid as easy to get and apply as this website says? I read quite a bit on the website and it sounds too good to be true. Something you can buy in the local hardware store that is cheap and seems easy enough to apply. I checked at our local store and it is there, the same stuff as in the website. What do you guys think about Oxailc Acid??

 

[honeyman46408]

Here are some thoughts on it

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237419

 

[KQ6AR]

Its recommended to do it only once per year in the fall, after brood rearing has stopped.
Its commonly used in Canada, & Europe. No US companies are willing to put up the cash to get it registered, because they wouldn't be able to get their money back.
I haven't used it, but would if I needed to.

 

[johng]

Thanks guys. It sounds like it really mite be as good as it sounds. I may try to clean my top bars this fall. I will let you'll know how it cleans. Thanks.

 

[Michael Bush]

Keep in mind that it causes enough damage to the Malpighian tubules (kidneys) that the bees can't tolerate more than one treatment in the fall and still live to spring. And it creates a "violent" shift in the pH of the hive and the gut of the bees, which will kill a lot of the microorganisms that live in the bees, and ferment the pollen into bee bread and otherwise maintain the balance of microorganisms in the hive. Be sure you count the costs.

 

[SwedeBee1970]

Mike,

So what you're saying is that it should & could be used when bees are not present, like empty frames that need to be cleaned or managed ?

What about fumes and absorption ? Is it like an alcohol ?

 

[Michael Bush]

>So what you're saying is that it should & could be used when bees are not present, like empty frames that need to be cleaned or managed ?

There would be no reason for it. Killing mites is the reason people actually use it.

>What about fumes and absorption ?

If you use a vaporizer then there are fumes and they do less damage to the bees and probably less upset of the microorganisms, but otherwise there are no fumes.

> Is it like an alcohol ?

It's an organic acid. Like Acetic (vinegar) and Formic except it is less volatile than those two.

 

[oldenglish]

Read this

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/news/articles/V1-wright-varroa.pdf

 

[Allen Dick]

My understanding is that if the sublimation (heat) method is used, that the acid recrystalizes on the hive parts and remains active for a while.

Apparently, this is much less hard on the bees than mixing it in syrup and can be repeated without apparent harm, unlike drizzling which gets the syrup/acid mixture on and into the bees.

I have quite a bit of material scattered around my web site. A quick search from the main page or selected topics should lead to more oxalic info and references than most people will want to read. Some of it is quite old, but AFAIK, little progress -- or change in recommendations -- has been made in the last decade.

One thing to consider, and which is very hard to assess, is whether these treatments impact honey production negatively. Early formic experiments definitely showed depressed production. I don't know about oxalic.

All these things are selective poisons that are chosen because they affect the pest more than the host if applied properly. The idea behind using them is to poison the pest with minimum harm to the host (your bees).

Therefore, careful attention to dosage and timing is of the utmost importance, as is -- obviously -- monitoring (testing) the bees to be sure that treatment is necessary.