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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