How to Use Oxalic Acid to Control Varroa Mites

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This video shows when and how to use oxalic acid to control varroa mites.
Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring acid found in plants, and there are three legally approved methods for using oxalic acid to control varroa. Oxalic acid can be a useful tool for reducing varroa mite populations within an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Always resample after treatment to confirm that the treatment worked.
This is the eighth in a series of short videos from the Honey Bee Health Coalition on how to manage varroa mites successfully.
Why should you effectively manage varroa mites in your honey bee colonies? Every honey bee colony in North America either has varroa mites or will in just a few months. When colonies are not treated, or are treated ineffectively, they weaken and may be more susceptible to other negative factors, such as pesticide damage, virus infections, and other maladies. Failure to control mites endangers not only your colonies but also colonies in other apiaries and feral honey bees in your area. Widespread colony deaths can cause major economic damage for beekeepers and harm essential agricultural pollination services.
Whether you have a few colonies or you manage large apiaries, these videos show practical steps you can use to better control varroa mites.
LINKS:
The Honey Bee Health Coalition: honeybeehealth...
More varroa resources: honeybeehealth...

Опубликовано:

21 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 20

@eliinthewolverinestate6729 Год назад

Oxaclic acid burner and queen cage for brood break is my favorite way to diffuse a mite bomb. Or quarantine a new colony.

@FrederickDunn 7 лет назад

My problem is that I can never seem to get more than a scant two or three varroa from any of my colonies during sugar rolls. According to your series, not treating is "irresponsible", yet you also state that we should only treat when varroa are on the rise, or at problematic levels. It's a quandary for me, I have varroa resistant bees and they are doing a great job of keeping the numbers in check. Of the methods shown here, I prefer and am prepared to use, the vaporizing method (I have everything on standby). Is it suggested that I use it and treat anyway, as this is a prime time of year to treat? Thanks.

@beebob1279 6 лет назад

Don't let the low mite levels throw off your judgement. I maintain hives locally in three apiaries. I treat in the summer when the honey is removed. I treat with thymol. In the fall I monitor my colonies because of the dimwits out there who refuse to treat their hives for mites. I have to treat with a fall treatment or oxalic acid if I have that window of opportunity. When the local hives crash my colonies have gone out and robbed the infested hives and brought loads of mites back to their colony. I have huge spikes in the fall. This past fall family obligations couldn't allow me to check for mite loads in the fall. Too late. I lost a pile of hives. I'm now trying to re-build my apiaries. If I continue to have these issues because these new beekeepers or beekeepers who refuse to treat I'll likely give up bees after twenty years. When I retire and move to the mountains I'll likely try it again.

@cloverfieldsapiaries9563 7 лет назад

Since there is no brood in a package OA in Vapour is by far the best way to treat for varroa J in phoretic stage, and for the same reason is more efficient to treat colonies on sunset when you know all the foraging bees are inside. BE CAREFUL with the amount of treatment you do, it can damage your queen bee or kill it, don't use it too late in fall specially up here in Canada.

@beebob1279 6 лет назад

good points Clover. I guess placing the package unopened in a deep hive body and then vaporizing in then enclosed hive would be the most effective. Then at least the colony could be installed the next morning without worrying about OA syrup dripping about.

@FloryJohann 5 лет назад

For package installation If you add a few more days of varroa brood interruption then you would not need anymore chemicals since the mites would die a natural death called age. Just think, all you need is about 12 days of bee brood interruption. When you get the package of bees , the bees are locked up already for about 4 days. If you keep the queen cage on the frames it will take about 2 days before the queen is released with the candy system. It will take about 1- 2 more days before the queen is laying eggs after release. It will take days before the new brood is capped at which the mites will enter the brood cells just right before capping. So we are talking a total of more than 12 days of being bee broodless( without capping), which is enough time to interrupt the the brood cycle of varroa mites. Not sure why it is mentioned to treat a package of bees for mites, even though the brood cycle will be interrupted days beyond the age limit of the mites 10 day brood cycle?

@saramichaud610 4 года назад

Varroa can live up to 6 months on an adult bee. They just aren't reproducing at the time. A brood break does not kill the mites that are present. Some will die from age, some will die from grooming behavior but the majority of mites will be able to survive on the adult bees. That is how mites overwinter with colonies.

@Westernwilson 3 года назад

Brood breaks only delay, they do not stop, mite population growth. Do not use brood breaks to reduce mite levels...not only is it ineffective, there is a huge cost to the colony.

@Eversweetapiaries 7 лет назад

I wouldn't recommend the OA sugar syrup method for package bees. Sometimes the packages are cooped up for too long already because of transport & beekeeper pickup/delivery. Installation into hives should be completed as soon as possible to lessen bee deaths. OA vapor before installation would be better.

@FrederickDunn 7 лет назад

Excellent advice

@beebob1279 6 лет назад

Treat with OA just prior to capping the larva. You still get the phoretic mites and have a 'clean' hive. We get packages here within a day of being caged. I will be treating in the cage as soon as they get home since it was only a twenty four hour since they were packaged. I'll wait two or three days keeping them in the garage where it will be dark and cool. Besides It'll give the bees additional time to become accustom to the new queen.

@LifesLaboratory 4 месяца назад

I'm new to beekeeping, but was thinking the same myself. I'm having a package delivered and it has been delayed en route. I don't have a vaporizer. Would I be best to get them well fed and settled in the hive for a couple days and then drizzle them? I am in a rather remote area of central BC and very much want to start with a clean hive and keep it that way. Cheers.

@justsayno2458 13 дней назад

Why can't I mix up the sugar syrup/OA mixture into a spray bottle and spray it directly on my bees? How is dribbling it between the frames better? (Other than no need to pull out each frame. But what if I spray OA during a hive inspection while pulling out frames anyway to look for the queen so I can cage her for seven days to break the mite cycle?)

@michelehealey5189 4 года назад

What was the black and decker device used to power the vaporizer

@heatherneill3358 6 лет назад

Once mixed, how long can this mixture be kept, and how?

@williamwebster3227 3 года назад

We just lost 2 of our 3 hives. Think it was combination of mites and cold snaps. Broke down hives, all bees appeared dead, now a few bees are back to original hive. I put it back together partially . It's warmer today and I'm seeing a little activity out front. I'm kinda bewildered. ?? Any advice