todays news

[The Drone Ranger]

I think I might make a little timer box with a 30 second delay followed by 2.5 mins of regulated 12V ,automatic switch off and then a 15 min further delay before an all clear horn sounds
That should let me retreat to a safe distance and have a cup of tea without the expense of a stopwatch, gas mask, and anxiety therapy that the people who don't use one deem essential

[gavin]

Excellent idea! Sounds like a great topic for the next shed (or kitchen) project .

I'll keep dribbling though .....

I could put to good use an automatic call to keep me productive after a 17.5 min tea break.

[GRIZZLY]

Thanks for your response Gavin. It's nice to know I'm not just spouting a load ot old tosh.

[The Drone Ranger]

I'll get right on it Gavin
This time next year we could be millionaires
A 4060B would make a good starting point
http://www.doctronics.co.uk/4060.htm
I have loads of them here

[fatshark]

You're right about the quantities Gavin ... the pre-mix from Thorne's is 3.2% w/v if I remember correctly and that's also the lower figure quoted in the Managing Varroa booklet from FERA. As an aside, I note that this has been recently updated to indicate that Api-Bioxal is licensed in the UK and that generic oxalic acid is not (in any EU country) but is 'tolerated in many countries'.

One comment on 'standing upwind' when you sublimate OA if that is what you want to do (which now seems to be legal with ApiBioxal). Be very careful and don't neglect proper breathing protection. I've had experience of eddies bringing dust containing nasties back to me in a lab setting using a fume hood and outside the same with eddying smoke from bonfires.

I think a point that is largely missed with the discussion of the danger of sublimating/vaporising OA is that the stuff should stay in the hive. If the hive is correctly sealed, with a sponge across the entrance, with the OMF 'closed' somehow and with the usual level of midwinter propolis gumming up all the little cracks, then the beekeeper shouldn't be exposed to evil-smelling clouds of OA ... and if they are, then the bees and mites aren't. This in no way negates the need for both considerable caution AND the correct personal protection equipment.

If it's like standing next to a bonfire on a windy day then you're doing it wrong

[Jimbo]

Hi Drone you need to get into the 21st century. What you need is an app for your iPhone or iPad that triggers your timer so that you can do your sublimation from the house while drinking the tea.
It can be done I as am currently getting my phone to talk to my camera remotely to take photos


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Kate Atchley]

For those who enjoy chuckling at my endeavours and talking to the bees: I've learned a few tricks with iMovie (as well as raising Qs this Summer) and the results are on Vimeo!

This is one ... there's another three there, two very short: Enjoy!!

[gavin]

Moidart's own answer to the Fatbeeman! (the slim bee lady?).

Yup, FS, you are right. The right kind of vaporiser, all the sponging and sealing and whatnot ... and you should be fine. The trouble is Scottish beekeepers probably still have bent copper pipes and blowtorches kicking about somewhere from a period some years ago when they were widey promoted here.

DR, if your ripple carrying binary oscillator/counter makes cash, it is all yours!

I'm tempted to look out a Chewing the Fat picture ('ooooooh!' with those wiggly fingers at the chin) for Jim's posh camera set-up .

[Jon]

Thank goodness one beekeeping forum poster in particular isn't here or we'd be straight into arguments about 40-year old degrees and the means of describing solid in liquid concentrations .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rwc3VGvlRY

[gavin]

Thought I'd regret that comment.