Author Topic: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method  (Read 10646 times)

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Offline tecumseh

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #20 on: December 08, 2018, 06:28:57 am »
I guess I have worked for too many lawyers... And it seems that some here have interpret the law in a unbending fashion which is not how things work in the real world.  The basic rule you should apply when it come to interpreting the law.... is 1) there is THE LAW and 2) there is the implementation of the law (or as is most common NOT).  Which is to say there are numerous laws on the books and some are enforced and some are not... Some laws (like that which applies to oxalic) has no one to even enforce the law.  When I have a question about such matters as this..... I typically ask the head of the Texas Apiary Inspection Service to see what they do and what they think.  Even if I went against their advice there is really no one to enforce the law.

I do treat the bees at the TAMU bee lab with oxalic.  It is so cheap I even play around with dribble, slow release towels and thick cardboard. Like many varroa treatments effectiveness is not the same across all types of application and each one's effectiveness will with proper (not so proper) timing.  It seems to work best in the bloodless state.

I would recommend folks NOT use the oxalic which is sold as wood bleach in lumber supply stores.... < several reasons for this 1) you are uncertain to all the other things added to the mix and 2) mixing stuff up in large batches can pose problems in terms of equal distribution of the various things added to the mix.

You do want to buy the right form of oxalic.

Gene in Central Texas....   

Offline Jacobs

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #21 on: December 08, 2018, 12:08:49 pm »
I do like OAV both as a winter treatment (per label) and as an emergency knock down (somewhat off label) when mite counts are above threshold and temperatures are too high for other treatments.  I do want to play with a couple of hives by using screened bottom boards, doing regular sticky boards, using OAV as an emergency 1 time knock down if needed, and follow up sticky boards to see how effective this routine is.  I have used the 1 time knockdown in summer a couple of times with good results, but that may have been luck or chance.  If I do OAV when real honey is in the top super, I chase the bees out of it with Bee Quick and a fume pad, put a piece of plywood between the honey super and brood and do the OAV.  Once all has cooled down, I remove the plywood and reunite the honey with the brood.   I don't use the shop towel OA method.  I'll wait to see the results of testing and if effective, a good reasonably safe method of making and applying them.

Offline CBT

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #22 on: December 10, 2018, 09:06:10 pm »
Late Fall after the winter bees have been born is not best time to think about mite control imho but, this is when the label on Brushy Mt says to treat for mites. So when the winter bees that have been weakened by the mites don’t survive the winter and you used the product as directed what’s up with that. Remember to test early treat as needed and post test to know if it was effective enough with something.

Offline Jacobs

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #23 on: December 11, 2018, 08:56:26 am »
I agree with you CBT.  OAV is not my exclusive varroa treatment, but one that is available in high temperatures as an emergency knock down, and in winter, when brood is at a minimum.  I have been partial to formic acid treatments, weather permitting, for standard treatments.

Offline Eddy Honey

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #24 on: April 07, 2019, 07:17:04 am »
I bleach my woodenware with OAV: I leave the bees in there since it doesn't seem to bother them.: Are you saying it inadvertently knocks off the mites at the same time?

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #25 on: April 08, 2019, 05:27:13 am »
Eddy, can you describe that process?  Are you bleaching the inside or the outside?  Why are you bleaching the woodenware?

Offline Jacobs

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #26 on: April 08, 2019, 06:51:26 am »
I suspect this treatment is along the lines of beekeepers who use frames of comb for a backstop when spraying a certain type of BT to control pests and hit the frames with it by accident.  No "intent" to limit wax moth damage on comb.

Offline Eddy Honey

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #27 on: April 08, 2019, 06:08:38 pm »
Eddy, can you describe that process?  Are you bleaching the inside or the outside?  Why are you bleaching the woodenware?

I vaporize the OA in the hive so it soaks into the wood grain. Keeps the inside wood clean I suppose.

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #28 on: April 08, 2019, 08:50:37 pm »
LOL @ Eddy... I did that for YEARS.. wait, still doing it, because I buy the 99.5% pure OA from Amazon....

   I am interested in the towel method posted earlier at Randy Oliver's site. I am surprised it actually works...   bees rub agains the towel in passing and transfer the crystals... not as many of them "Ingesting" the OA syrup to cause them harm like the dribble method... and yet... it still takes quite a while to get it to work... so thats a downside...

Quote;
The other shortcoming is that it takes at least 6 weeks to realize the full effect of the treatment. This is a treatment best used proactively, rather than after mite counts have already climbed to high. Don’t expect this treatment to quickly take care of high varroa infestations late in the season.

   So.... since I have the vaporizors, I will keep on bleaching my frames....
   As Tec mentioned.. there is no one to check or enforce that you MUST use the labeled OA...   I bought some of it..  then I just refilled the bottle with the purer/cleaner amazon stuff...  Then I talked to Andy Joseph about it, and he said the same thing Tec said...  So I stopped pretending and NOW I treat my hives in just a few moments each with the purer 99.5% pure amazon OA for the sole purpose of killing mites.
   it made me think of the electrician that insepcted my wiring on my new house.. told me I had to put in Ground fault breakers.. I told him I did, but they didn't work..  I installed one, and showed him.. it was for my ceiling fans.. turned it on.. it blew...  he tested and tested...  yeah it all looks okay...  It has to be becauyse they are just CHEAP ceiling fans.
  I said okay, will you put htat in writing?
   He asked why
   I told him, those are 400 dollar ceiling fans, i want your letter to take to the company when I return them....   he scratched his head and said... You know, you only get inspected ONCE.....
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Offline Eddy Honey

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Re: Oxalic Acid Shop Towel Extended Release Method
« Reply #29 on: April 11, 2019, 07:02:44 am »
LOL @ Eddy... I did that for YEARS.. wait, still doing it, because I buy the 99.5% pure OA from Amazon....
   

 ;)