Randy, Here are some comments. >>...acts as a contact poison to mites... I've read in some places that, when the bees ingest OA/sugar syrup, it changes their blood pH. As mites suck the blood or perhaps lose the taste for the altered blood, it causes them to die. >>Syrup that lands on the frame tops does not count--the bees don't touch it! Perhaps not initially but eventually they clean it up. I think it must, at least temporarily, end up in their stomachs. When I checked a hive once after a treatment, I saw freshly deposited OA syrup in cells. There had been no flying weather since the treatment. >>Ideally, we'd squirt each box of bees, but this year we're only squirting the box with the most bees. When broodless, bees are typically in 2 deeps. To treat both boxes, first treat the upper deep under the inner cover. Then, replace the inner cover, separate the hive from the bottom board, tip it over and treat from underneath. No need to separate the two deeps. >>Tip: if you question whether any acid is still on your skin after rinsing, just touch your tongue to your skin. This is not good advice [although the concentration could be harmless]. It's like asking a person to put a finger to a potentially live wire to see if it's 'hot.' Just wash your hands with soap or better yet wear cheap, disposable rubber gloves. I have a tip for small scale beekeepers: estimate how many bee spaces the bees in all my hives/nucs occupy and make 10% extra solution. I weigh off the corresponding amount of OA, sugar, water on a gram scale and mix up the solution until the OA is all dissolved. You will waste very little sugar solution. In my opinion, dribbling is the easiest, safest, and arguably most accurate (as far as the 'point of use') method. Waldemar Long Island, NY -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---