> Medhat has developed a vaporizer that uses forced air to open the cluster 
> so that the vapors can penetrate.  He has much more data of efficacy of OA 
> vapor.

The title says it all.  Actually, Medhat has been very busy, and made a few 
comments, but I should probably add to what I offered previously, since I 
realize that the history I offered is incomplete, being up to date to about 
2004 but omitting some developments after that.  (My lame excuse is that I 
retired about then and went AWOL.  I dropped my diary for a time, around 
then, too).

At the turn of this century, Cor De Wit developed an air blower oxalic 
evaporator device that was more or less self contained and would treat four 
hives at once.  It was designed around the proven Varoxx unit.

He presented his results to our AGM in 2002.  By that time, there were 
already such blower units in use in Europe, but I think Cor's was the most 
ambitious by far due to its design for four hives and short cycle, and 
wheels for moving around a bee yard far larger than most in Europe.  Medhat 
Nasr was our new Alberta Apiculturalist at the time, as I recall, having 
replaced Ken Tuckey.

By 2003/4, Cor had further refined the machine and others were copying it, 
although I did not see others that were on wheels.  Most were single-hive 
units.

There were various attempts, including one that kept a pressure chamber full 
of liquid oxalic under thermostatic control.  That unit is pictured 
somewhere in my diary.  It ultimately blew up, literally, without hurting 
anyone, but was abandoned as an obviously bad idea.

Various other versions were built in beekeepers workshops and some worked, 
some didn't.  All of them made smoke, though.  Most people really did not 
know if they worked or not because both the application and the monitoring 
was less than consistent and results were not independently verified or 
replicated.

That is where Medhat stepped in.  With his scientific training, his team 
(Sam & Roy) and contacts, he helped Cor refine and compact the design and 
did efficacy studies which he detailed in the ACIDF Project Final report 
#20004A071R issued in 2008.  (My understanding is that contrary to what some 
have thought, Medhat and his team do not any make money off this invention 
or wish to).

So, the machines now on offer from Cor are a product of the work of a group 
of people.   My apologies for not realizing that earlier.

Those interested in more details or getting one can read the brochure at 
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/2010.htm

As mentioned, I have compiled some of this material on my site and updated 
errors and omissions.  Any further comments or criticisms are welcome. I'm 
sure I have missed other worthwhile points. 

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