Author Topic: Oxalic Acid 2022 (Read 12514 times)

Jen · « **on:** May 22, 2022, 01:41:17 pm »

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 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2022, 06:11:12 pm »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2022, 07:22:44 pm »

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

Jen · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2022, 09:43:55 pm »

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

RAST · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2022, 07:23:58 am »

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.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2022, 07:31:56 am »

That you make? Pictures my good man!

RAST · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2022, 11:54:22 am »

Look in the for sale on here, now $170.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2022, 10:02:20 pm »

That looks like an excellent little rig... I'd probably just shoot the vapor in the entrance instead of making a hole but it looks like it works! How is the longevity of it?

RAST · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2022, 12:35:35 pm »

I have been selling them for almost 4 years now with only 2 known failures out of a couple hundred.

Jen · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2022, 09:22:02 pm »

Oxalic Acid and mite resistance:

Anyone who posted on the HOPGAURD thread regarding Oxalic Acid, feel free to copy and paste that here on this post as well, if you want.

My OA story: I've been using Oxalic Acid for years now with continued success, never a problem. And when it comes to treating my hives, I am on it! and have never lost a hive to mites! Two summers ago, late in the season, my hives were unexpectedly bombed with mites, thousands of them! My first thought was that the OA wasn't doing it's job anymore. My bee friends said to move to Formic Pro and Apivar to get the mites out of there fast. I did Apivar and OA together and got those mites out of all of my hives, it took 6 weeks. Good news is my 5 hives made it thru the winter.

I just can't use Formic Pro, it's the less risky than MAQS, but it doesn't feel right for me. And I don't want to continue with Apivar and Hopgaurd either. I want to continue to use my fav which is OA.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2022, 07:56:50 am »

I cash lease my land to a local farmer... One day he asked me about treating bees and told me he had a hive, and wanted to know more about OA...
I grabbed the vaporizer and a stickyboard, and went over.... I showed him how to use it... His hive wasnt very happy about the process which struck me as odd.. usually the bees could care less if you are vaporizing....
Three days later, he called me... He sounded amazed so I went over... to find.... THOUSANDS of mites on that stickyboard,, I DO MEAN THOUSANDS.. so many I wasnt EVEN going to attempt to count them all.....
I treated again in two weeks, and a third time two weeks after that.
HE did an alcohol roll, and said he was doing something wrong.. so I went over with powdered sugar, and also showed 0 mites... He was excited, and wanted to know if he would ever need to treat again if they were all gone.... I explained that to him.. he ordered a varrox vaporizer, and to this day we are competing for BEE SPACE locally....
One of the struggles for a new beekeeper, is understanding treatments. I remember being terrified about putting an insecticide into a hive full of insects.. Do it wrong, and there could be dire consequences.... A guy named Robert OBrien (A Brit) asked why I didn't use OA, and we got into that discussion.... well before it was "legal" to use in hives over here....
THAT, started my journey... I started doing research.... I have been using OA ever since!

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2022, 08:12:14 am »

For all the information I have on Oxalic Acid, you can click below to go to my site.... It is a little outdated.. Brushy Mountain is no longer in business but the information I gathered on OA is all there.

http://www.outyard.net/treatments.html

Hopefully soon I can start working to get everything updated and refined!

Zweefer · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2022, 10:09:05 am »

I would also add that LazyBkpr did a good job collecting initial information back in the day on This thread.

I too started treating the wood in my boxes while the bees just happened to be in them before it became an accepted practice stateside. Haven't looked back since.

Jen · « **Reply #13 on:** May 25, 2022, 11:42:01 am »

Zweefer, please clarify "I too started treating the wood in my boxes while the bees just happened to be in them before it became an accepted practice stateside. Haven't looked back since."

'treating the wood in my boxes?'

Zweefer · « **Reply #14 on:** May 25, 2022, 05:05:28 pm »

Sure. Back in the day it was technically illegal to treat with OA. But it was legal to treat the wood with OA (wood bleach), so that's what I did (or at least said I did).

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #15 on:** May 25, 2022, 05:57:29 pm »

Yep, and at bee meetings thats how we talked about it. Bleaching the inside of the hive with OA vapor.

Jen · « **Reply #16 on:** May 25, 2022, 07:35:08 pm »

Huu... I have never heard of that. What a novel idea.

So Zweefer you wash down the inside walls of the box, let it dry.. or not?

And then vaporize as well?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #17 on:** May 25, 2022, 09:35:53 pm »

Bleaching the hive, is slang, for vaporizing with OA... We did it before it was technically legal, so we CLAIMED we were bleaching the frames/hive to avoid admitting the truth.

Zweefer · « **Reply #18 on:** May 25, 2022, 09:56:06 pm »

Jen · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2022, 02:56:38 pm »

OOooooh Okay... digging around in my grey cells I think I remember something like that. It's finally legal here in CA. But soo many beekeepers were doing it anyway, for years, and no one got into trouble for it.