Beekeeping - Oxalic Acid Treatment

[HTCSWEOD]

Did you actually have a big mite problem prior to treating? Or are you just doing a preventive treatment? Why put honey bees through this rather than rearing naturally mite resistant lines of honey bees? I have never done this but am curious about the practice... why didn't you introduce the gas at the bottom while leaving a top hole unobstructed so there would be a flow through the frames? Sort of a chimney effect? I don't think I would do this with my bees...

[alfredwestlake]

Hello HTCSWEOD,

These videos were done several years ago when I was just getting into beekeeping. I have learned so much since then. Because of the limits youtube puts on posts, I will have to post several replies in order to answer some of your questions .

[alfredwestlake]

"Did you actually have a big mite problem prior to treating?"

Yes, I had an almost overwelming problem with mites when I did this. I also would not have done this otherwise. I haven't done any of these type of treatments since then. I have been using brood cycle control instead. If you do need to treat then this method is better than other chemical interventions.

[alfredwestlake]

"why didn't you introduce the gas at the bottom while leaving a top hole unobstructed so there would be a flow through the frames? Sort of a chimney effect?"

You are right that it might be better to introduce the vapor from below and as a matter of fact there are gizmos that you can buy that are designed to do it that way using a tray that you slip under the hive. I just used the other common method which doesnt require special equiptment.

[alfredwestlake]

.

"I don't think I would do this with my bees..."

You just have to make choices. If the mite counts get too high you have to do something or you loose the colony. Some would say let them die and get survivor bees, but I can't afford to just let them go and buy more. All of my colonies today are from either swarm captures or hygenic strains that I have purchased for that reason.

[HTCSWEOD]

@alfredwestlake no worries....

[endimion17]

Although it is harmful to inhale its vapors, there's no need for wearing gloves, unless you plan to touch large ammounts for extended periods of time. It won't penetrate the skin and it won't dissolve it. It's really not that dangerous, like for example pure formic acid. Now that's dangerous.

Oxalic acid is quite toxic for the kidneys if you ingest it, though.

[alfredwestlake]

Thabks for the info.

Yea I figuered out that it wasn't so bad to handle.

Also hear from someone who breathed it and they said that they had breathing problems for weeks after. So not good to breathe.

Apparently if you do more than one oxalic drup treatment per season it it hard on the bees "kidneys" as well.

[endimion17]

@alfredwestlake Maybe it's better to heat it while being away from the apparatus, and, as one guy said, a flow of vapor would be appreciated.

Nevertheless, larynx usually closes by itself as it's a reflex when corrosive fumes enter, so coughing starts.

People who work with such chemicals develope a sense of precaution and breathe more carefully.

Yes, the bees don't like it either. But then again, they really dislike formic acid. Oxalic is a minor nuisance.

[green2lean]

How are your bees doing? What upsets me is how many beekeepers use chemicals in the hive. They say they stop 30 days before adding honey supers. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. After all the commercial guys probably don't eat much of their own honey. it's too bad the FDA doesn't monitor honey. I bet there are a lot of chemicals in it, some even that attack the central nervous system. In the case of CCD other bees won't even touch the honey from the affected hive.

[ninja2134]

My Bees are doing well so far this year,

I had some hard winter losses but so far build up has been great.

I really don't use many treatments on my bees. Once a year I treat for nosema apis using fumagil (sp?) in syrup. I treat for mites when needed which is so far only the one time.

[iamaGod357]

shouldent u dilute that stuff before use?

[alfredwestlake]

@iamaGod357

No you just use the straight crystals.

[spartaeus]

Be very careful with oxalic acid. Ingestion in humans causes severe kidney damage.

[oneyaker]

Really? Then stop eating spinach or rhubarb and any number of vegetables because they are full of oxalic acid. The poison is in the does. You can die of water over hydration too. Oxalic acid is ingested all the time in many vegetables so your generalization about "ingestion causes kidney damage" is just nonsense.

[ometec]

oxalic acid is also produced naturally in the hive at low levels

oxalic acid should however NEVER be used on a hive with honey supers, only brood hive bodies or brood supers.

[jakef450]

great video where did you find your information

thanks

[fotohogger]

Thanks for video about Oxalic Acid.This sounds like a better option if I should ever need to treat. I will read more about this as I also do not want a bunch of chemical and mitricide residues in my beehives. I have been using essential oils in syrup, patties, & grease roll at entrance to keep bees healthy. Also GardStar ground drenches all around hives. So far they are doing well. 2nd year.

[chawoosemothergoose]

i would suggest trying to have some sort of positive pressure blowing the vapour into the bottom entrance that way the acid will rise and spread more thoroughly through the hive

[ninja2134]

Also unlike mitricides the mites can't build up immunity to it, so I am not adding to the problem of creating resistant strains of mites. I didn't have a single bee die from the treatment as far as I could tell and from what I understand it is not harmful to the bees.

[bdrowe]

Good video. But isn't that a little harsh on the bees. Did you test to see how bad your hive was infected. Try using IPM.

[ninja2134]

I did a powdered sugar shake test prior to treating and determined that the varroa levels were way to high.

I also tried the powdered sugar dusting treatment first but it didn't reduce the mite levels enough. So having done all that I could without using chemical or mitricidal intervention, I did research on my options. The oxalic acid option seemed the least toxic of all possibilities. Unlike many of the commercially available mitricides it leaves no toxic residue to build up in the hive.