> My point:  everything about beekeeping is a function of cost/benefit.  My
> colonies thrive much better when I use oxalic dribble (we treated 300
> hives
> yesterday) than when I don't.

I have been using the OA dribble around Thanksgiving for years. Will finish
tomorrow.
I believe really helps.

The two years we had quite a bit of spring losses the only thing which stood
out was those hives were not given the OA treatment.

Randy is right about the function of cost/benefit. My heart doctor is always
saying the percent of risk with a medicine versus the shown percent of help
with a problem.
Example:
A heart blood thinner has a percent of risk of causing internal bleeding and 
death versus a percent shown in studies of preventing a blood clot and a 
stroke.

OA in the broodless period is kind of like insurance policy against mites
right before winter. seems to be a death sentence for varroa if the mixture 
contacts the mite.
If there are problems with the OA treatment this time of year I have never 
observed problems now or in spring.



bob 

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