Many thanks DR. Very helpful. I'll be able to vaporise from below the mesh floor on most of the hives but the polyhives and Paynes nucs present more of a challenge. Will probably use the entrances of the Swienty hives but with a thin slate or similar beneath the metal parts to protect the foam from the heat. Might end up trickling for the nucs.Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger
Last edited by Kate Atchley; 06-11-2015 at 12:10 PM.
The block of wood fills the entrance either side of the nozzle, yes? Do you need to protect the polystyrene from the heat of the nozzle as it goes in/out or simply hold it off the surface until its over the mesh part of the floor. The rod through the entrance must get pretty hot too? (You can tell I haven't done this yet!)
Are the risks to the operator and to the polystyrene worthwhile compared to trickling? I don't see the need to use heat and vapours.
Hear what you say Gavin I have never measured the results of trickling
I'm pretty sure there will be some data on results
I always like to test things for myself and measure the results before I commit to a method
I would encourage everybody to do the same not just take my word for it
I was collecting the dead varroa and putting some under the microscope looking for crystals on their bodies and feet
Once I started to see less of that I did the second oxalic treatment
If you have the Ian Craig type floor it's very simple to do evaporation
Poly hives are a bit more challenging and I have no real ideas how to approach that
Fatshark might have the best way to get that done have to think it over
Never had any problems with trickling - even in frosty conditions ,. everything takes place so quickly that the heat loss is minimal. I think sublimation is too risky, if you get O.A liquid on you it can be washed off - if you inadvertently inhale the sublimated stuff its off to medical care and don't kid me that all operators wear full breathing protection - they just risk it.
I've trickled often enough but the research suggests OA sublimation knocks down more mites and harms fewer bees. Repeat treatments can be applied if necessary.
I can't find the research findings I was reading last week but here's a FB entry which explains: http://www.facebook.com/indianastate...369206?fref=nf.
Maybe someone else can offer sources on this?
Hi Grizzly
Well I'm a bit of a coward round some things, so I have several bottles of Formic acid quietly aging in the chemical cupboard (old larder fridge)
Most times there is always a slight breeze so the trick here is to stay upwind of the hive (opposite of deer stalking I suppose)
Even a dilapidated old wreck like me can hold his breath for a few seconds (never go in water if you can't do this)
Plus the lead on my varrox is very long (boasting again)
It's the method I have always used and I'm still above ground
I think Kate is right that the sublimation method is more effective because you have a very fine mist which reaches all the bees and areas of the hive
I haven't measured or tested how effective trickling is it's probably pretty good and I might have to use it on the polynucs
If I do I might examine the dead mites to see what the effect of the trickle is in them
I once had two mites on a microscope slide and sprayed them with lactic acid
An hour later they were fine so I put some drops of the stuff on and let them swim in it
Couple of hours later they were still alive and kicking so the lactic acid spray (Thornes) went in the bin
I do take your and Gavin's point and that trickle is very simple to apply
As seen abroad....
Drill a hole in the front of the hive the diameter of a piece of domestic water pipe (seen both copper and plastic used), cut a short length of the pipe and glue it into the hole. Using the sublimator pipe blow it in through the hole. Plug the hole with bit of cork or wood to await next round.
They should. It's unpleasant stuff. And that's after reading up on it, not personal experience. I use an approved 3M particle mask and enclosing goggles. I also stand upwind and try to ensure the hive is sealed so all the 'goodness' goes to the mites, not the operator.
There's data on effectiveness in papers cited by Randy Oliver on scientificbeekeeping.com (perhaps here).
Re. poly hives ... my vaporiser has a narrow nozzle (7-8mm diameter and about an inch long ... stop that Fnarr, Fnarr in the back row DR) and the OA vapour is blown out through it. It's not like the Varrox-type which is more of a passive vaporiser. Hence mine stays outside the hive, with only the nozzle pushed through a hole in the floor or - in the case of poly hives - through a block of wood held against the entrance. None of the vaporiser actually contacts the poly so nothing melts.
That'll do ... but not for a Varrox-type.
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