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Date: | Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:44:45 -0600 |
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On 9/26/2011 4:49 PM, Bill T wrote:
> Is that 65% Formic?
Sorry, I was asked this by several off list as well. Yes we're using
65% formic. Some were also wondering about the Dri Locs. They are a
"brand" of the pads used under packaged meat or vegetables to soak up
liquids (sometimes called "blood pads"). They have holes on one side
which is lightly marked "This side down". Using those spring loaded
salad tongs found on buffet tables, we place the filled pad on the hive
with the*holes up*. They are thin and depending on the space between
the top bars and lid some outfits don't use any kind of additional rim.
In fall our wintering covers have an additional 3/8" space over what
evers on the brood box. In spring we quite often have a honey super on
our singles for bee space by the time we treat, so we place it on the
brood box under the excluder. The pads are usually dry in 16 to 24
hours. Colonies will chew them up and dispose of them by themselves.
If we're a doing a 2nd treatment within 5 to 10 days we will sometimes
remove the remnants of the previous pad. Often in fall there's no sign
of it within a couple days.
Back at the beginning we could only get 85% Formic and had to cut it
down. One day when I was thinking about something else and not the job
at hand, I prepared a 1000 pads at 75%. We had them all out by early
afternoon and it was as I lay in bed that night thinking about the day
when I realized my mistake. NO SLEEP THAT NIGHT! Next morning I shot
out to the closest yards. As expected the pads were mostly dry, but the
bees didn't look the worse for wear. The wintering losses & queenless
hives from those colonies the following spring were no different than
those which received the proper dosage. Somehow I had dodged the
bullet. I have always felt that because they were strong fall single
units and the temps remained below 15C that day & above 9C that night
saved me. I can't prove that, but since I assume that someone somewhere
with more knowledge than I on the subject came up with the 65% figure, I
had traveled on very, very thin ice.
Dave Tharle
Ardmore, Alberta
Canada
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