Message text written by Discussion of Bee Biology
>I wonder if the formic acid treatment for mites  would not also control
nosema as formic acic being a single carbon acid  should be more
biologicially active than the two carbon acetic acid.  We in the US
hopefully will be allowed to use the formic acid systems in the near future
and this would shurely be a boon if the formic acid did indead reduce the
spore load in the colonies to a below economic level especially since it
would be an on going treatment.<
 
I have wondered this too, but it seems to me that the the concentration of
formic acid vapour in the hive  is going to be a tiny fraction of the
concentration of acetic acid vapour used to sterilise combs, as a result of
the relatively small quantities used, slow evaporation and open hive
entrance. My guess is that is wouldn't be effective, and as a general
principle, I suspect that anything that would harm the relatively resilient
nosema spores would also have an unfortunate effect on the bees in the
hive.
 
What do others think?
 
James Morton
London UK