Best course of action re treatment now ?

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
wessexmario said:
Just search for 'PTC Heater' on the main auction sites,
you'll want one that has a temperature of between 165C and 180C, the one I found was 175C. (oxalic starts to vapourise at 156C)
the seller I bought from was 'pedgington', at the moment he has similar lower temperatuire ones but not the one I bought listed, maybe message him to see if he's getting more stock.
80W 12V PTC Heater Element inside an Aluminium Heating Plate.
Maximum Temperature: Approx 175°C.
Dimensions: 72mm * 21mm * 6mm
"PTC Heaters have a ceramic element whose resistance greatly increases above a threshold temperature that is depend on the composition of the element. This means that PTC elements act as their own thermostat. The heater in this case has a threshold temperature of approx 175°C."(no connection, just a satisfied customer)
Click to expand...

PMd you - did it make it?
 
Arfermo said:
I keep trying to convince people that sublimation isn't anywhere near as dangerous as some so-called experts suggest. Been using a varrox for 6 years and am delighted with it.
Click to expand...

Take another chemical... Chlorine. which has similar damaging effects on the soft tissues of the lungs, used in the trenches to kill people en masse.
But how many people have had a sniff of chlorine from a toilet cleanser and lived to survive the tale? and without a respirator.

Use a respirator, pick a day that has a gentle breeze blowing (which day doesn't in the UK?) and stand upwind of the hive.
Used sensibly oxalic is as as safe as anything else in this life.
 
wessexmario said:
But how many people have had a sniff of chlorine from a toilet cleanser and lived to survive the tale?
Click to expand...

It would take a heck of a lot of beer and wine to make me get that close to a toilet pan - and then it's usually a large exhalation rather than inhaling.
 
wessexmario said:
Take another chemical... Chlorine. which has similar damaging effects on the soft tissues of the lungs, used in the trenches to kill people en masse. But how many people have had a sniff of chlorine from a toilet cleanser and lived to survive the tale? and without a respirator. Use a respirator, pick a day that has a gentle breeze blowing (which day doesn't in the UK?) and stand upwind of the hive.
Used sensibly oxalic is as as safe as anything else in this life.
Click to expand...

Totally agree but scaremongers don't.
 
An explanation for a low drop in winter and then an explosion if oxalic is applied is that when the varroa are solidly locked onto the bees they don't need to drop as they are happily swallowing buckets of the haemolymph. Pretend it isn't like this at your peril !!!
 
Just search for 'PTC Heater' on the main auction sites,

you'll want one that has a temperature of between 165C and 180C, the one I found was 175C. (oxalic starts to vapourise at 156C)

the seller I bought from was 'pedgington', at the moment he has similar lower temperatuire ones but not the one I bought listed, maybe message him to see if he's getting more stock.

80W 12V PTC Heater Element inside an Aluminium Heating Plate.
Maximum Temperature: Approx 175°C.
Dimensions: 72mm * 21mm * 6mm
"PTC Heaters have a ceramic element whose resistance greatly increases above a threshold temperature that is depend on the composition of the element. This means that PTC elements act as their own thermostat. The heater in this case has a threshold temperature of approx 175°C."

Very interesting.

Do you have any pictures? I have been asking my husband to look into making one of these for me but he is reluctant to help. Perhaps some pictures of one already made will do the trick - hope so.

Thanks
 
3bees said:
Very interesting.

I have been asking my husband to look into making one of these for me

Thanks
Click to expand...

So was I.......I bought a Varrox in the end so that he could concentrate on modifying ten wooden floors ( I can do them but he does three to my one) and making me a Barn Owl Nestbox.
He did make me a warming cabinet though and that has been a very very used bit of kit.
 
Hi 3bees and Ericha,
See, my husband does not know how lucky he is, never been asked to make one of those. Very good at carpentry and aluminium rooves though.
 
Heather said:
No mention of monitoring though.. just 'shall I treat or not'?. How about an inspection tray for 2 days to see if a varroa problem.. then decide to OA or not. Why inflict a treatment if your colony may be v varroa light.
Click to expand...

jenkinsbrynmair said:
A very misleading one if the majority of posts on here are anything to go by - how many times have we read about people checking a mite drop and counting next to nothing, still treating (by whatever means) and then conveying their shock and horror at how many dead mites have dropped on the tray.
I think I's rather take the view that after the high September treatment drop (due probably to the fantastic summer) then the protracted mild autumn that there are going to mites there in significant numbers to cause an exponential build up come spring.
There's going to be mites there, so lets ensure there are as little as possible around during the spring build up
Click to expand...


IMHO, the sensible advice to beginners is to treat automatically with Oxalic in midwinter (whatever they do re varroa for the rest of the year).
That way, the colony should get enough treatment to survive long enough for the beginner to gain an understanding of bee and mite behaviour.
The automatic midwinter treatment should only be stopped (if ever) once the beek has demonstrated that he really is in control of the situation.


Beginners don't need to get involved with sublimation of Oxalic.
Anyway its too late this season to be starting home-building a vaporiser. And they are expensive to buy... especially for just 3 hives. And wholly inappropriate for use on that poly nuc ... so he will be trickling that at least.
Trickling is simple, safe, creates no nuisance to neighbours, and, with two people working together on the hive, is actually much quicker than sublimation. (One person moves the coverboard over each seam as it is done - the trickler doesn't even have to keep track of which seam is next, his assistant has moved the coverboard into position as a guide while he was reloading the next 5ml.)

Thorne's Trickle2 product is easy and cheap. Just be sure to keep the empty bottles, so you can refill them next winter with home-made Oxalic syrup. And buying an extra (empty) bottle to fill with water and practice with, is also IMHO good advice to offer a beginner trickling without a mentor around.
 
itma said:
IMHO, the sensible advice to beginners is to treat automatically with Oxalic in midwinter (whatever they do re varroa for the rest of the year).
Click to expand...

More important, surely, is to make sure a beginner has completed an autumn treatment so that he/she has a full complement of healthy winter bees that will survive long enough to look after the first brood.
 
Erichalfbee said:
More important, surely, is to make sure a beginner has completed an autumn treatment so that he/she has a full complement of healthy winter bees that will survive long enough to look after the first brood.
Click to expand...

I think they should indeed be encouraged to do an Autumn treatment as well.

My point was not that they shouldn't do an Autumn treatment, but that regardless of what they might choose to do in Autumn, they should be encouraged to do an automatic Oxalic treatment (regardless of perceived need) in midwinter.


IIRC in this case the OP was so late on Autumn treatment as to have almost missed the boat.
Rather than checking drop counts and letting the time slip away, I do suggest he gets on with trickling Oxalic ASAP.
 
Thanks Guys

Correct Itma, good memory !

Only got my Oxalic yesterday, late probably, but hopefully this cold snap will facilitate effective treatment as they should be tightly clustered.

Will also apply some fondant, seem a bit light , to my untrained hefting opinion
 
Brian, it looks cold everywhere in UK so good time to do it.

Lift roof off then crown board gently and trickle down the seams where you can see bees - wear your veil but no need for gloves. Warm the oxalic acid beforehand.....

If the colony feels very light, you could flatten a lump of fondant and pancake directly across the frame top bars under the crown board.

richard
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BeeBird
Advice on varroa treatment in nuc
Replies
8
Views
807
BeeBird
BeeBird
Raf
Varroa Treatment
Replies
12
Views
1K
jenkinsbrynmair
jenkinsbrynmair
C
Varroa in 'Complacent Numbers'
2
Replies
37
Views
3K
pargyle
pargyle
M
Please what is the up to date advice on the efficacy of the OMF with catch tray?
Replies
9
Views
1K
madasafish
madasafish
Malcolm B.
A rather long winded Introduction.
Replies
11
Views
1K
hemo
H

Latest posts

Back
Top