[calkal]

I am planning on doing the oxalic acid with Glycerin dribble per Randy Oliver to my new nucleus colonies at the appropriate time when there is no cap brood. I would like to hear from anybody who has done this.

 

[Steve in PA]

The appropriate time when no capped brood would be this winter when the queen shuts down unless you are planning on caging the queen or something. If you wait that long you will probably have issues making it through the winter.

Why not the 3x plan now or August?

I did regular OA dribble last winter and this spring with great results. I have glycerine sitting on my table to experiment with in August.

 

[calkal]

Hi Steve, After making up a nucleus colony and placing a ripe Queen cell in it there comes a perfect time to do an oxalic acid dribble. Because the brood that was used to make up the nucleus colony will be all emerged and the new queens larva will not yet be capped, So the varroa mites have no place to hide. The timing for me is about 20-21 days after making the nuc and about 16-17 days after queen emergence.

 

[Vectorjet]

I do this also with all my nucs, swarms and splits with great results. Any time a hive has no capped brood and a mated laying queen I give them the oxalic bomb. Sometimes I use the dribble and sometimes I use vapor. Results are the same, a virtually mite free hive for the moment.

 

[Steve in PA]

In my earlier reply I didn't realize that you had a handle on the broodless/capped brood situation. I falsely assumed you to be new to beekeeping and was trying to warn to not wait until winter.

My mistake.

 

[calkal]

No problem at all Steve.

Vectorjet, When doing the dribble do you mix the oxalic with sugar syrup or with glycerin?

 

[Vectorjet]

glycerin

 

[LAlldredge]

I don't recommend an OAD series with brood. Ever. I didn't want to spend the money on a wand and the OAD series led to the death of my first two colonies. There was a big population decline.

I would invest in a wand or borrow one. Performing an OAV series had a very different outcome. At year 2 I had 100% overwintering success.

 

[calkal]

I know what you're saying, some of these treatments are a bit scary that's why I'm trying to find out all I can before I try it. I don't need another episode like I had with formic pro 😞
But on a brighter note Randy Oliver had several articles regarding oxalic acid dribble and recommends it for new nucleus colonies, I think he referred to it as clean nucleus colonies indicating if you get it at the right moment almost all the mites would be gone with one treatment.

 

[LAlldredge]

Those are the articles I read when I decided to try it. As much as I like and respect Randy Oliver, I think he's dead wrong on this one.

 

[Robert Holcombe]

My two cents: I suggest you read the EPA approved label for applying the dribble method. I do not remember glycerin being specified or approved by the EPA. I believe Randy Oliver used glycerin in his efforts to get the slow-release Blue Towel method tested and approved - no approval that I know of. Oxalic acid and sugar syrup dribble is hard enough on them.