> Formic acid at 54% can be bought in
> local hardware shops in 250ml thick plastic bottles with safety tops,
> marked 'Kilrock-K kettle descaler'.  The Materials Safety Data  Sheet
> can be downloaded from www.kilrock.co.uk.   There is no mention of
> anything except the acid. Questions:  can such a Materials Data
> Sheet,  published in conformity with EC Directives,  be relied on to
> mention contaminants if present?

In a word, no.

Before I proceed, here are a few URLs of interest for varying reasons:
http://shop2.chemassociates.com/shopsite/Chemassoc2/PAS-formicacid.html
http://www.fact-index.com/f/fo/formic_acid.html
http://www.nsc.org/library/chemical/FormicAc.htm
http://www.univarusa.com/assistmsds.htm
http://www.univarcanada.com/

Anyhow, what would tell the tale is a Certificate of Analysis, not an MSDS.

I've had trouble finding any recent COAs for formic on the web.  Anyone got
COA URLs for the various grades handy?

> Is formic acid available to the
> general public in this in other countries?

Yes.

> Recommendations on
> treating hives usually suggest applying 250ml of 65% acid to pads -
> would 250ml of 54% work adequately provided the pad size was
> increased ratio 65:54, or do we need to complicate the appication by
> applying 250 x65/54= 300ml, a bottle and a fifth?    Is this what
> many beekeepers are doing/have been doing?

That is the long term application, much like what NOD is selling.  There are
other application methods that are more suitable to varying conditions.  See
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/menus/topics.htm (and choose the mite
topics)

IMO, 54% would work just fine.  The main reason for dilution with water is
to control the evaporation rate.  At full strength, the formic vapours are
too powerful.

> In passing, Oust All Purpose Kettle Descaler comes as 3 x 50ml plastic
> sachets just in a cardboard carton - packed properly under EC
> Directives, so cannot be considered a great safety risk. The Data
> Sheet from dylon.co.uk says it consists of 50-70% lactic acid.

Lactic acid?

> Clearly many think using liquid formic in any way at all is an
> unacceptable risk.  Kilrock-K has been sold to housewives for 50
> years for them to open the bottle and tip the contents into their
> kettles, waering at best household rubber gloves.  Why would emptying
> it onto a pad in a beehive constitute a greater risk?   There is no
> comparison with carrying acid in open buckets at a factory.

There are risks, but they can be mitigated by following good practices and
having an ample (and redundant?) emergency supply of water at hand.

allen
A Beekeeper's Diary: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/

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