Strange that people have actually done this on purpose and have felt no symptoms and had no problems. I got my first whiff of the stuff this fall while treating. Locked me up fast.. i just backed up, waited a moment and continued... no problems or symptoms or problems. REALLY interested in what the doc has to say Capt.
I asked my doc about the stuff when I first started using it. He told me as long as I wasnt constantly trying to breathe it I would be fine. He also said it was a natural substance our bodies could metabolize in small amounts. So long as I dont try to eat it in the concentrated form.....
We eat Oxalic every day, so our bodies are set up to handle it, though NOT through the lungs..
Dumb cane or Leopard lily (Dieffenbachia) has Highly concentrated amounts of Oxalic. When some unfortunate animal (or person) chows down they end up with a painful and swollen mouth. In some cases the swelling is so bad it causes the victim to go silent for inability to talk, this is where the common name of Dumb Cane came from.
When breathing a large amount of the vapor it closes up the throat and causes lock up and coughing. If a concentrated amount is inhaled it may cause similar effects as eating Dieffenbachia. Swelling of the mouth and upper throat, numbness and pain in the associated areas. If these effects are noticed seek medical care immediately!
I wasnt able to inhale at ALL when i caught a breath of the stuff... I didnt do it multiple times either, so cant testify to any side effects....
30 to 60 hives treated three times each in the spring and at least once int he fall.. = around 1500 treatments administered at this time and date, with only a single episode of getting a whiff of it. I take no special precautions other than staying upwind and away from the hive while treating. That may change when the second vaporizor arrives and I am working two of them regularly...
So if you are having issues from breathing it, I am very much interested in hearing about it, before I have problems, so I can stop them before they start.
Treating with liquid drench? about every plant we handle has OA in it, especially if you have ever cut up rhubarb. Getting the concentrated form on your skin will soon tell you it is there with an Itchy burning feeling. Just go wash/wipe it off. I get it on my hands about every time I fill the pan because I hate wearing gloves. I have had no issues/symptoms at all in that regard. But we are all different and react differently.
Liquid drench shortens the life span of the treated bees because they are forced to ingest it, but it is proven to work.
What has OA in it?
Foods that are edible, but still contain significant concentrations of oxalic acid include - in decreasing order - buckwheat, star fruit (carambola), black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb stalks, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, (CHOCOLATE!!!!) most nuts, most berries, and beans. The gritty feel one gets in the mouth when drinking milk with rhubarb desserts is caused by precipitation of calcium oxalate. Thus even dilute amounts of oxalic acid can readily "crack" the casein found in various dairy products.
Leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) are known to contain among the greatest measured concentrations of oxalic acid relative to other plants. However the infusion beverage typically contains only low to moderate amounts of oxalic acid per serving, due to the small mass of leaves used for brewing.
Uses
Uses:
In household chemical products such as Bar Keeper's Friend, some bleaches, and rustproofing treatments.
In wood restorers where the acid dissolves away a layer of dry surface wood to expose fresh material underneath.
As a mordant in dyeing processes.
Vaporized oxalic acid is used by some beekeepers as an insecticide against the parasitic Varroa mite.
I asked my wife to see if there were OSHA standards for breathing OA...
She said;
The PEL (Permissible exposure limit) is 1 milligram per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8 hour work shift.
How is that relevant? I have no clue, but suspect that the "whiff" we get in treating bee hives is well above that limit since it causes lockup.. I do have to wonder, that since it DOES cause lockup, how much of it actually reaches the lungs?
Having experienced it once now, I have no interest in experiencing it again... My methods have kept me away from that experience quite well until now, so I will probably not change how I do it... however.... If I start to have more trouble I will at the least start wearing my paint respirator with appropriate filters.
I am also waiting to hear what Capt hears from his doc.
