Mixing your own oxalic acid solution?

[Rob den Dekker]

Hi all,

Last year I bought half a litre of pre-mixed oxalic acid solution and only used 50ml of that. It has now expired. This year I'll need 100ml, as I've got a second hive.

Still seems like quite a waste though.

How easy/dangerous is it to mix your own solution?

Cheers,
Rob.

 

[itma]

Hi all,

Last year I bought half a litre of pre-mixed oxalic acid solution and only used 50ml of that. It has now expired. This year I'll need 100ml, as I've got a second hive.

Still seems like quite a waste though.

How easy/dangerous is it to mix your own solution?

Cheers,
Rob.

Rob, for 2 hives, just get a "Trickle2" bottle from Thorne. Under £3 (plus postage).
For another quid you can get an empty bottle to practice using the 5ml (for one seam of bees) dispenser built into the bottle ...
Your association may have done a bulk-buy or there may be other convenient ways to avoid the postage charge - like tagging it onto your £100 sale order!

 

[aberreef]

Hi all,

Last year I bought half a litre of pre-mixed oxalic acid solution and only used 50ml of that. It has now expired. This year I'll need 100ml, as I've got a second hive.

Still seems like quite a waste though.

How easy/dangerous is it to mix your own solution?

Cheers,
Rob.

It's very easy to mix your own. I don't know how dangerous it is though since I've never got it on me and don't plan on trying

Follow the instructions and you can't go too wrong really

 

[itma]

If you have 1 gram kitchen scales, you could mix up a litre's worth at a time. More than enough for 20 hives.

For a smaller quantity, it deserves more measurement precision than ordinary kitchen scales.

Hence, the simple thing for 2 hives is Trickle2.

 

[garlicpickle]

there's a sticky post here with instructions on how to do it, just make sure you have scales which will measure small quantities accurately.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=20

You can of course reduce the amounts to make less, just make sure you scale all the ingredients down by the same factor.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's very easy to mix your own. I don't know how dangerous it is though since I've never got it on me and don't plan on trying

Follow the instructions and you can't go too wrong really

Not dangerous, but you have to be careful as it is an acid and pretty caustic. make sure you get the measurments right when mixing it though : a jeweller's scale from fleabay is only 5 or 6 quid including postage and half a kilo of oxalic from CWJ (cheapest place to get it unless you try aforementioned fleabay.) will last you years for the price of one ready mixed bottle. I believe finman posted the 'recipe on here (Careful i don't start another riot by saying that) but if you go on the CWJ website they give the mixing instructions

 

[Rob den Dekker]

Cheers everybody!

 

[oliver90owner]

How easy/dangerous is it to mix your own solution?

Rather depends on your competence with both chemicals and following instructions.

If competetent, it is easy and not dangerous. If incompetent it could be difficult and possibly dangerous.

Can't tell your competence from here and neither can anyone else, so answering the question accurately is just a guess by me, or anyone else over the internet for that matter.

RAB

 

[For want of a better word]

Hi all,

Last year I bought half a litre of pre-mixed oxalic acid solution and only used 50ml of that. It has now expired. This year I'll need 100ml, as I've got a second hive.

Still seems like quite a waste though.

How easy/dangerous is it to mix your own solution?

Cheers,
Rob.

Get a decimal point in the wrong place and you may kill your colony...

In the last few years ...following a disaster... I vaporise the stuff... which is possibly an even more dangerous practice!

( not in mixing the correct proportions.. but opening the hives to pour the acid on the poor bees when conditions were little less than perfect !)

 

[garlicpickle]

Just for info, there's a guy on fleabay who is selling it in little 50ml bottles ready mixed. As he also sells the larger branded bottles I imagine he's just decanted it for the convenience of people who only have one or two hives.

I have not ascertained this however, so it would be worth checking before purchase.