BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
allen dick <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 30 Dec 2003 12:17:56 -0700
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (42 lines)
> I would be interested to see published research results of evaluating
> the efficacy of the OA strips.
>
> I heard in a recent meeting that the efficacy of the strips was very
> low in comparison to the oxalic acid fumes or dripping of liquid acid
>  on bees.

I heard the same thing in sci.agriculture.beekeeping, as I recall, but then,
I also heard of some failures with the evaporation method too, on that same
newsgroup.

A person never really knows when dealing with anecdotal evidence, unless the
stories all line up to present an overwhelming case.  The widely varying
methods and lack of clearly documented observations make the oxalic tales
told there interesting, and sometimes sobering, but they really don't tell
us much, except that these methods can fail, especially if approached in a
less than scientific way and with clear notions of what thay can and cannot
do.  The Canadian manufacturer of an oxalic evaporator, recently mentioned
here on BEE-L, weighed into that discussion and it sounded as if he had lots
of varroa, and had found it necessary to do multiple treatments.

When all the dust cleared, I had learned very little, except that we need to
observe carefully and be careful when we try to establish cause and effect,
and, again, that oxalic application is not as simple and complete a 'cure'
as some other current methods.  Of course, Apistan and Checkmite+ have
failures, too, even where resistance is not the problem, but we don't hear a
lot about them.

As for the Oxamite strips shown on the same site, I really do not know.  I
assume that they worked for someone, somewhere, or appeared to do so.

FWIW, my neighbours tried a similar method using oxalic (dissolved in some
carrier which I forget) in paper towel, learned from an European magazine,
and reported little or no effect on the varroa.

allen
http://www.honeybeeworld.com

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ATOM RSS1 RSS2