oxalic acid use (again)

[jdpro5010]

Can someone please describethe method or method's of using the OA?  I understand the dribble or drench method.  It is the vapor method I am alittle hazy on.

[Robo]

Completely seal off the hive and sublimate 2grams of oxalic acid for 2 deeps with either a homemade torch vaporizer or a 12V electric vaporizer.   Leave hive sealed for 15-20 minutes and then open entrance.

a 1/2" copper pipe cap is roughly 2 grams


JB200 12V & torch vaporizers





oxalic acid vapors are very harmful and one should always where a respirator when using it.  Also stay out of any leaking vapors (stand up wind from the hive).  That is what is nice about the 12V vaporizer, you can be 25 ft away from the hive.

[jdpro5010]

Thanks Robo, this may be a silly question but is the 12v sold as OA vaporizer or is it sold as something else and used for OA.  It is to early in the morning for me and my brain is not functioning real well. :-D  I do remember seeing somewhere the home made torch deal though!

[Cindi]

jdpro5010.  Robo gave you some excellent pictures and a great description.  The good think about VAPOURIZING oxalic acid is that it does not kill bees nor brood.  Oxalic acid trickling CAN and WILL kill brood, that is why O.A. is trickled ONLY when no brood is present in the colony, and only performed ONCE a year, vapourizing can be performed at any time, except when honey is to be used from a hive for human consumption.

Here is a site for a place where you can read up on the vapourizer apparatus that Robo is talking about.  I use their vapourizer too.  Have a wonderful and awesome day, life, health.  Cindi

http://www.members.shaw.ca/orioleln/

[Robo]

yup, that's where I got mine.

You can download the manual for the JB200 here -> http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/downloads/

[DennisB]

If it is so bad for humans to breathe the stuff how are the bees able to survive the dosage?

Denns

[Scadsobees]

If it is so bad for humans to breathe the stuff how are the bees able to survive the dosage?

Denns

They don't.  It kills them within a few months... :-D  Our system has to last many year while accumulating damage.  Theirs is reletively short lived....in the summer only 6 weeks.  It does decrease lifespan of the bee somewhat.

OA is an irritant. I don't think that it is really bad for humans to get a whiff or two, but for liability reasons nobody wants to take any chances.  A big dose can do major damage.  Persistent breathing of low-dose OA  over time will accumulate damage as well.

Rick