Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid  (Read 25380 times)

Offline golddust-twins

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 96
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #20 on: June 27, 2008, 02:56:43 am »
Cindi,
Back in 2007 you stated you had a JB600 on order.  Did you ever recieve it and how did you like it?  I'm looking to purchase one myself but I would like some feedback on the two models JB600 and JB200.

thanks,
Corinne

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #21 on: June 27, 2008, 09:18:50 am »
Corrine.  Interesting that you recall that I was going to order one.  Yes, I ordered the JB200, it was a little more expensive than the JB600, and it runs on a car battery.  I actually purchased a small battery with a handle so that I could carry it around more easily.

I have used this vapourizer last fall and this spring.  It is amazingly simple and fast....I am not kidding you.  I share my vapourizer with two of my bee pals.  One bee pal gal comes and helps me to do my hives then we do hers.  Both of us working it goes even faster.  I have 10 colonies and it probably takes about 3 minutes per colony. 

Each colony has to be prepared, the entrances must be closed off with something, I use foam and then the bowl for the crystals is inserted , the battery hooked up, approximately 60 seconds to vapourize the two caps of crystals, cool the bowl down, fill it and on to the next colony.  Fast, efficient and it drops mites like there was not tomorrow.  I am impressed.  Should you purchase one, I know you will be satisfied. 

The effects of the mite death carries on for about 4 weeks.  I know that because I did sticky board tests for a one month period last fall.  Until I got tired of performing this task.  And their were still mites falling dead after that time period of the last sticky board and mit count.  I know it works, well.  Have a most wonderful and beautiful day, lovin' this great life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline golddust-twins

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 96
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #22 on: June 28, 2008, 01:56:24 am »
Thanks so much Cindi, for you quick response.   Also thanks for the tips.  I think this will be on my next bee list.  When you say you purchased a small battery with a handle was it a car battery or something smaller.

thanks,
Corinne

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #23 on: June 28, 2008, 08:19:27 am »
If you can get a car, tractor, lawnmover, or any other vehicle with a battery within 25 feet of your hives, just make a set of long leads for the vaporizer.  That is what I did.  Then you don't have the added expense of a battery nor do you have to worry about storing it and keeping it charged.

rob...
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline golddust-twins

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 96
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #24 on: June 28, 2008, 10:21:53 am »
Thanks Robo


Corinne

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #25 on: June 28, 2008, 10:29:42 am »
Corinne, welcomes.  I think Rob has something there, bringing a vehicle close to the hives would  be great, but I am too lazy for that.  I bit that bullet and purchased a small 12 volt car battery.  I think it was $60 or something, but I figured that I would be using it for many years so it would pay for itself with peace of mind that I KNOW my bees have help anytime I need to vapourize.

My wonderful Husband made me some very long leads that I attach to the battery out of wire that he got from a car parts place, 14 guage wire, to be exact, used for car stereos, but other wire can also be used.  I can pretty much leave the battery in one spot or move it slightly, I think the leads are about 15 feet long. 

The thing with vapourizing is:  (others also vapourize with acetic acid (vinegar) with good results I have heard, but I don't know about that, there is talk on our forum of this in other threads) -- it is not like many other applications.

Oxalic acid when it is made into a sugar syrup trickle MUST only be done when there is no brood present in the colony.  I.e., wintertime, because it can kill brood.   Vapourizing can be done any time there is a necessity, it does not kill bees nor brood.  But, I would not do it during the honey flow regardless, only before, in the spring or in the fall.  The vapourizing in the spring should keep the mites in good check until the fall treatment.  There will be mites in the summer I would imagine, but not bad enough to affect them deeply, until their fall treatment.

There are other methods that work well too.  That powdered sugar dusting, but I am too lazy for that, and the regression to small cell.  I have no intention of this either.  That is me.  I hope this has been explained a little deeper and better for you.  Beautiful and most wonderful day, lovin' this life we live, enjoy your day like there was no tomorrow.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline SgtMaj

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1464
  • Gender: Male
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #26 on: July 26, 2008, 04:37:42 am »
Thanks so much Cindi, for you quick response.   Also thanks for the tips.  I think this will be on my next bee list.  When you say you purchased a small battery with a handle was it a car battery or something smaller.

You can get riding lawn mower batteries if you absolutely need a portable battery (if you can't get a vehicle close enough like Rob suggested).  They are much smaller and lighter than car batteries and often come with plastic handles so you can carry them easily, and should have all the power you need for this application.  The last time I bought one for my riding mower it was about $30, but that was several years ago, and I think they are much more expensive now.

Offline alfred

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 420
  • Gender: Male
    • Alfred's Massage
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #27 on: July 27, 2008, 11:17:10 am »
Check out the video I did of oxcylic acid treatment last year on you tube.

This was the first treatment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSmxYIzuuU0

This was later with a modified apparatus, worked much better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpktnn9lZU4&feature=related

I made the aparatus myself with stuff from the hardware store. Can't remember what it cost but it wasn't more than $15. I now have 4 hives and it does take a while for the crystals to vaporize using this method. so I will probably make some sort of electric version this year so as to speed thing along.
Alfred

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #28 on: July 28, 2008, 02:10:02 pm »
Alfred, I looked at your videos, great job.  It is wonderful when people can invent things, and this you have done, saved yourself some money too, while you were at it, my hat off to you.  Have that wonderful and great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #29 on: July 28, 2008, 03:02:34 pm »
Alfred,

Couple of thoughts for you.    The JB200 comes with a spoon to measure out the 2g.   The "spoon" is nothing more than a 1/2" copper pipe nipple with a handle soldered on.



I also found the shorter you make the outlet pipe, the less of the oxalic acid recrystallizes on it.   Since the vapor is hot and rises,  I do it thru the entrance and let the vapor rise up thru the whole hive and not just cool at the top and create a residue on the top of the frames.




One nice thing about the electric vaporizer is that it can be used with 25ft leads which gets you away from the hive and not as much chance of getting exposed to the vapors.  The electric one is also quicker and you can move from one hive to another without having it cool down completely.  It's not an easy task to reload the torch vaporizer when it is hot :-\
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #30 on: July 28, 2008, 03:05:47 pm »
This is the same vapourizer I have.  I have the long, long leads too, and can stand a very far distance from the hives when I hook up the battery and the crystals evapourate, it only takes about one minute to fully evapourate the crystals and no fear of breathing in the fumes.  Although I do wear a mask for protection of any vapour that may be around.  Beautiful and most wonderful day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline randydrivesabus

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1072
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #31 on: July 28, 2008, 05:40:56 pm »
if you have a SBB could you just vaporize the crystals under the SBB? Where do you get the crystals?

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #32 on: July 28, 2008, 07:28:45 pm »
if you have a SBB could you just vaporize the crystals under the SBB?
The hie needs to be completely sealed for 10-15 minutes after treatment,  so only if you close off the SBB.

Quote
Where do you get the crystals?

Hardware store....

There have been a few discussions of brand names and stores, but I don't recall the details anymore.  Use Search and I'm sure you can find it.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline alfred

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 420
  • Gender: Male
    • Alfred's Massage
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #33 on: August 02, 2008, 06:34:35 pm »
I got mine at Ace Hardware in labeled as Wood Bleach in a little tub.
Alfred

Offline DaveKow

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 180
  • Gender: Male
Re: Thymol crystals and oxalic acid
« Reply #34 on: February 24, 2009, 11:25:16 am »
So, does anyone have the JB600?  The one that uses the torch.  It seems very simple to make, if I had a better picture of it.

Thanks.