Beekeeping > Pests and Diseases

Oxalic Acid 2022

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Jen:
I've been using OA vaporizer with continued success for most of my 15 beekeeping years. I use the Heilyser vaporizer built out of Canada, with two distributors in the US. With touch ups and small repairs it has lasted dependably this first 15 years. I just bought the new and improved version last year, what a beautifully crafted machine this is.
http://www.heilysertechnology.com/

The models that you see on Amazon are throw away models.  They may work for one bee season then become undependable to fire up, or don't work at all. Or, you have to leave the hot vaporizer in the hive for 8-10 minutes, of which the bees Really don't like that! The Heilyser vaporizer is in and out of the hive in about 2 minutes. If you are vaping a particularly snarky hive, 2 minutes works much better.

Sometimes you get the amazon vaporizer loaded up with the oxalic acid powder, then slide it into the entrance so that the cup is in the center of the hive floor. When the timer is up you pull the vap wand out and find that the cup is cold and still full of powder... you either... put the vaporizer back into the hive and hope that it will ignite this second time, good luck with that. Or, you waste your time doing a test run on the lawn and see if the vaporizer is heating up and burning the OA powder, stay down wind of this trial. If it works this time, you load the cup up again and slide it back into the entrance... to find that it did not ignite Again. The bees Really don't like that either!
 
Get the Heilyser, you won't regret it. Click photo to see the entire wand

LazyBkpr:
I have the Varrox vaporizers. Two of them so I can alternate them and run through the hives faster. I have had them for several years and they both still work like they did when new.

Zweefer:
I too have the Varrox - going strong for 5 years or so now...

Jen:
Cool! Those models were the first two on the market years back, they're the best. I've used mine many times while mentoring out in the field, works especially well when the naysayers say that they can't see any mites. I have a stack of metal sticky boards painted white. I smear them lightly with vaseline. I give the naysayers hives a shot of OA vap, slide in the sticky board, and tell them to take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

 :Dkidding

Then I tell them to check those sticky boards in three days and get back to me. Never fails, there is a couple hundred mites stuck to the board and some live ones as well. I love it when that happens  8)

RAST:
And of course, I use the pistol style that I make. This style for 4 years now. My first years ago was a bent copper pipe with a cap and a propane torch.

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