Oxalic Treatments for Varroa Destructor

December 3, 2022

A message from Wayne Pitts,

Hello to all,

What's Happening?

On December 3rd between 3PM and 5PM (weather permitting, i.e., temps above 37 and not precipitating), We will be treating our bee hives with Oxalic Acid using our Varrox Eddy vaporizer and you are invited to participate.

What to bring?

Please bring your bee suit, goggles, gloves, and an adequate respirator (here's a blog that might help you decide which respirator specifications you favor). I use a NIOSH-approved, full face mask respirator with the acid gas cartridge plus the particulate filter similar to this one. I encourage you to do your own research. Without a respirator, you should not attend.

Why we favor oxalic acid sublimation as part of our Integrated Pest Management approach:

Perfect for applications when there is little to no brood in the hive.

It's not a chemical treatment. It’s an organic acid found just about everywhere in the environment including in plants and vegetables.

It's 90-99% effective at killing the mites with minimal damage to the bees and brood.

Sublimation is far better at reducing mite populations and showed no increase in bee mortality than trickle methods.

It's not as temperature sensitive as some other treatments.

Note: EPA regulations have shifted but we do not use oxalic acid when supers are on.

Directions: Our apiary is located at 462 Woods on New River Road in Lansing. We're in the neighborhood called Woods on the New River just off Woods on New River Road. When you turn off onto the gravel road go about 1/2 mile. We are located on the second drive on the right. You'll see a package box at the bottom. The bee yard is about 1/3 mile up.

Contact details: My cell number is 901-262-2325 if you need additional directions.I also text.

Incentive: We would be happy to loan out the Varrox Eddy to others who would like to use oxalic sublimation to treat their hives. This is an opportunity to learn more and try it out before you buy one.

Best regards,

Wayne Pitts

Type: Ashe County News  Contact   ^top         < Prev   Current   Next >   of 140   Posted: 11/22/22     ID: 1669166679 # 1669166679