Kristina Williams wrote:



Right.  Why is OA mixed with with sugar at all?  Why not just mix it with water? It seems that if the bees aren't supposed to eat the OA and don't need to for it to be effective, then it shouldn't be there.  Kinda like the menthol cough drop craze for tracheal mites.  Maybe the sugar acts as a sticker/carrier, but OA works as a vapor, no sugar there.  I'm not saying go out and start using it off label, just wondering why we do what we do.

Cheers,



Answers:



1. Solubility of Oxalic acid in solvent 1(pure water) is quiet poor check the numbers below:



Solution  Temperature (C)    Oxalic acid  Dissolved (gm)

1.                14                                      0.3

2.                30                                      0.6

3.                40                                     0.75

4.                65                                     6.89

5.                79                                     9.6

6.                95                                    12.44



That is we heat the sugar water to about 65C.

2. It is mixed with sugar water because bees have wax layer of their cuticle (skin) water with OA will run off. Therefore, we use sugar as a sticker to help in sticking the OA sugar mix to the bee body.

3. we did try to feed the bees a mixed OA with sugar syrup at various concentrations (0.0001- 1%) the bees started to eat some it the lowest concentrations (0.0001). However we found high concentrations, the bees touches the acid and the tip of proboscis (Tongue)  Flabellum gets burned and the bees does not touch the feed and die from hunger.

 Therefore we find that a beekeeper must be careful using the dribbling and stick to the recommendation.  Those who cut corners and use garden sprayers and unmeasured dose, they are asking for troubles. Sublimation on the other hand is safer to bees, but not beekeepers.



Medhat Nasr



Edmonton, Alberta Canada



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