How and why to treat bees with oxalic acid?

Treating bees with oxalic acid is a fairly simple operation. The work can be done without dismantling the hive, which means it is less annoying for the bees. The effectiveness of the action is approximately 85% (depending on the treatment method). Dead mites begin to fall off approximately on the 10th-12th day.

Advantages:

• high speed of hive processing;
• minimal complexity;
• speed of action;
• excellent result.

What is oxalic acid?

Oxalic acid powder is an environmentally friendly product and is highly effective. With its help, you can quickly treat bee colonies and rid them of mites for a long time.

The main characteristics of this drug are listed below:

1. The product is solid crystals of white or transparent color that quickly dissolve in water.
2. From a chemical point of view, the product is a dibasic carbolic acid and is classified as an acaricidal preparation.
3. At a temperature of 150°C and above, this product decomposes into 4 components: water, formic acid, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
4. Oxalic acid is absolutely harmless to bees, does not affect the quality and taste of honey, but is toxic to humans, as it can irritate the skin and mucous membranes.
5. It is recommended to store the product in a hermetically sealed container at a temperature of +5…+25 °C away from food products and water. Shelf life is 3 years.

What diseases does treating bees with oxalic acid help against?

Oxalic acid is used to treat varroatosis and acarapidosis in bees. The first disease is caused by the Varroa destructor mite, which parasitizes the bee’s body.

The source of acarapisosis is the mite Acarapis woodi, which affects the respiratory tract of the insect.

The above mentioned diseases have a negative impact on the bee colony and are accompanied by the following symptoms:

• infection of the entire hive occurs as a result of the rapid spread of the disease from 2-3 infected bees;
• Ticks feed on the blood of insects, making them more vulnerable to other diseases;
• as a result of decreased immunity, the bee colony becomes weak and its productivity decreases sharply;
• If not treated in a timely manner, mites quickly destroy the entire bee colony.

Important! A special feature of mites is that they can adapt to acaricidal chemicals and mutate, so oxalic acid can be used for bees for no more than 2-3 years in a row.

How to use in beekeeping?

This remedy can be used in beekeeping not only to exterminate mites in an infected bee colony, but also for prevention.

In this case, you can use one of two methods of treating the hive:

• Spraying bees with a 2% aqueous solution of the preparation – is the easiest way to get rid of infection and does not take much time, and its effectiveness is about 80%.
• Fumigation of the hive with oxalic acid steam — is carried out by heating the crystals of the substance and, according to reviews from experienced beekeepers, allows the destruction of parasites with a probability of 93%.

Each beekeeper can independently choose which method is best to use. But in any case, it is necessary to strictly follow the processing rules listed in the instructions, and also to carry out this procedure strictly within the specified time frame.

Prepare

Before treating the hive with oxalic acid, you need to carefully read the instructions – this will help you prepare the product correctly and avoid mistakes in its use.

To ensure that bee treatment is as effective as possible and does not take much time, it is recommended to perform several preparatory steps:

• Before using oxalic acid, you need to remove frames with honey and bee bread from the hive – this will cause all the bees to gather in a bunch and it will be much easier to spray them with the solution;
• Before irrigating the bee colony with the working solution, the queen must be removed from the hive – she is allowed to be left with the bees only when fumigated with the vapors of this substance;
• To prepare the solution, it is recommended to use only purified water – for this, it must be well filtered or boiled over a fire to remove all harmful impurities;
• Before preparing a portion of the solution, you can place a pinch of oxalic acid in a container with water – the resulting sediment indicates that the water is not sufficiently purified and contains impurities.

Preparation of solution, dosage

To spray the hive, prepare a 2% solution of oxalic acid. Experienced beekeepers and manufacturers of the preparation consider this concentration of the product to be the most effective, and the method for preparing the solution is described in detail in the instructions.

It includes the following actions:

1. Heat 1 liter of water to a temperature of +30…+45 °C.
2. Add a little powdered sugar to warm water so that the crystals dissolve faster and the drops of solution stay on the bee’s body longer.
3. Add 20 g of oxalic acid to the resulting sweetish liquid. Mix the solution thoroughly.
4. The resulting mixture should be used immediately for spraying bees. After 2 days, it becomes completely unsuitable for spraying and can harm bees, so the prepared solution cannot be stored.

Some beekeepers, in addition to the standard solution recipe, also use a mixture of oxalic acid and liquid glycerin heated in a microwave (25 g of acid will require 25 ml of glycerin). A small towel is soaked in the resulting substance and placed in the lower part of the hive.

When interacting with glycerin, oxalic acid breaks down into its components, one of which is formic acid, which has a negative effect on ticks.

Deadlines

To achieve maximum effectiveness in the fight against mites, bees should be treated with a solution of this substance at certain times.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account weather conditions, since watering the hive is only permitted when the air temperature is above +16 °C and there is no wind.

The timeframes for treating a bee colony with oxalic acid are presented below:

• in early spring the procedure is carried out after the mass flight of bees;
• in summer, the hive is treated after honey has been pumped out and before feeding begins;
• In the fall, the bee colony is sprayed with a solution immediately after the bees emerge from the brood, but before the first frost.

Important! It is recommended to treat bees with oxalic acid in the evening after sunset – at this time all insects return to the hive, which means that each individual will receive its dose of medicine.

How to spray?

To use the prepared solution of the drug most effectively, it is necessary to irrigate the bee colony with it according to certain rules.

In this case, it is recommended to supply it to the hive using fine-dispersed sprayers – they ensure high-quality distribution of the substance inside the structure and allow you to measure out the required amount of solution for each frame.

The basic rules for spraying bees with oxalic acid solution are listed below:

• treatment can be carried out using mechanical or electrical liquid sprayers;
• each frame with insects is sprayed separately – for this, it is carefully removed from the hive and sprayed with a solution;
• When treating insects, hold the sprayer at a distance of 35–40 cm from the bees, directing the aerosol stream at an angle of 40–45;
• the consumption rate of the solution per frame is 10–12 ml;
• during the spraying process, the stream of liquid should be directed directly at the insects, but it is not necessary to spray each individual – in the hive, the bees are constantly in contact with each other, so the solution is easily transferred from one body to another;
• when treating multi-body hives, spraying begins from the bottom tier;
• After finishing the treatment, it is recommended to cover the frames with polyethylene film – this will keep a high concentration of oxalic acid inside the hive for a long time, and the mites will die faster.

How often to do it?

The number of times a hive is treated with oxalic acid depends on the purpose for which the preparation is used. For prevention, you can carry out 5 sprayings per season, but if the bee colony is infested with mites, then the hive is sprayed more often.

To treat varroatosis and acarapidosis in bees, it is necessary to maintain an interval of 12 days between treatments and spray the insects until the signs of the disease completely disappear. But in any case, this procedure is allowed to be carried out only during the periods listed above.

Treatment of bees with oxalic acid vapors

This method is based on heating oxalic acid powder, which turns it into steam that is toxic to ticks.

A beneficial advantage of this treatment is that it can be carried out even in autumn at air temperatures of +10 °C. Acid smoke can be sprayed using a special gun or a beekeeping smoker.

The basic rules for fumigating a beehive with a smoke gun are listed below:

• Before starting the treatment, you need to close the top entrance of the hive and all cracks to ensure the tightness of the internal space of the structure;
• using the selected fumigation device, the crystals of the substance are heated and steam is supplied through the lower entrance of the hive;
• to process a structure with 10–12 frames, it is necessary to use 1,5–2 g of powder;
• It is recommended to fumigate a bee colony with this product in several stages, keeping an interval of 10 minutes between them;
• Before adding a new portion of the preparation crystals, the hive fumigation device must be cooled to avoid the substance heating up too quickly;
• If the bees’ home consists of several tiers, then the upper sections are treated first, and then the lower ones;
• If there is brood, the hive is treated 4 times with an interval of 1 day, supplying steam into the structure in two equal portions.

You can assemble a smoke cannon yourself. You will need the following parts:

• Fuel pump;
• Several spark arrestor flasks;
• Spray gun;
• Brake pipes.

It is recommended to take auto parts from domestic cars. Afterwards, an analogue of smoke equipment is assembled from the proposed parts.

It is noted that the resulting gun works as effectively as the factory model. The smoke gun can be used not only for this procedure, but also for the use of many other chemical solutions to combat diseases.

Smoke treatment

Most often, a beekeeping smoker is used to treat bees with oxalic acid vapor. Its design allows heating the crystals of the preparation and transporting the resulting vapor directly to the hive.

Important! It is not recommended to treat the hive with oxalic acid steam in regions with high humidity – steam molecules absorb moisture from the air and settle on the surface of the honeycombs, which can cause mold to appear and honey to sour.

Step-by-step instructions for using a beekeeping smoker are described below:

1. Place coals in the working chamber and heat them until red hot.
2. Place a small metal can on the coals so that the distance between its walls and the inner surface of the working chamber is about 2 cm.
3. Place oxalic acid crystals inside a metal can. Seal the container tightly.
4. Heat the powder for 40 seconds. Then place the smoker’s tip into the hive’s entrance.
5. Using a car pump attached to the working chamber, create pressure in the container, moving steam into the hive through the nozzle of the smoker.
6. When the entire portion of the substance has evaporated, lower the bottom of the working chamber into cold water for rapid cooling. After this, repeat the procedure the required number of times.

Syringe treatment

In order to carry out treatment with lactic acid or oxalic acid, many beekeepers use simple medical syringe. The specified method successfully replaces the equipment for smoke treatment. The pre-prepared suspension is collected in a syringe container and passed through a copper blank.

The metal is heated on a primus stove so that the liquid that gets on it turns into a vaporous state. A special cannula needle, used in medicine to inject drugs into the human body, is first attached to the blank by welding.

The other side of the blank contains a rubber hose. The use of this method requires caution and smooth introduction of the product.

Safety Precautions

When preparing a product for treating a hive, the beekeeper must exercise extreme caution to avoid contact of the active substance with the skin, as well as with the mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth.

This substance can cause irritation and burns, and inhalation of its vapors leads to poisoning.

When working with the drug, safety precautions must be observed, namely:

• put on special clothing – a rubberized apron, long gloves and high boots;
• protect your respiratory tract with a respirator and wear glasses;
• During the preparation of the product and the treatment of the hives, it is prohibited to consume food, drink, or smoke;
• After completing all work, you must remove protective equipment and wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap.

Important! If oxalic acid gets on your skin, it should be immediately washed off under running water, and the affected area should be treated with a solution of baking soda.