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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Murray McGregor <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 1 Dec 2009 08:23:56 +0000
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In message <[log in to unmask]>, Chris 
Slade <[log in to unmask]> writes
>Oxalic acid solution needs to be stored either for a short time or kept 
>in the fridge as HMF will form (it turns brown). I asked Marion Ellis 
>what harm the HMF would cause to the bees and he told me that there 
>would be what he delicately described as 'digestive issues' without 
>explaining what they were.

We make it up fresh daily. Enough to do 150 colonies takes under 5 mins 
to make and the cost is minimal, the sugar costing more than the oxalic. 
2 batches under 10 mins, so I have it ready when the guys come in at 
8AM, and its still warm when they arrive in the field.

There may be a little left over from the previous day and that is just 
topped up with the new stuff.

Will never keep it in the fridge, not even the fridge at work. It costs 
next to nothing and the risk, although tiny, of someone else not knowing 
what it was and doing themselves or someone else harm with it is just 
not worth it. I have a VERY curious 3yo granddaughter who gets into 
everything and although she is well supervised and the risk vanishingly 
small....................

Put it in perspective...the tub of oxalic we have is enough for my 1880 
into winter, my friends 1100, and my chargehand from Lithuania is taking 
some home for his 50 and his friends 200. That will finish the tub, so 
over 3000 colony doses. The whole tub cost GBP 12.00 and carriage 6.00 
on top.......so less than 0.006 GBP per colony for the acid, about 1 US 
cent. 2 litres of the made up stuff, enough for 40+ colonies, has a 
value of about GBP 1.00 all inclusive. ( USD about 1.60).

I'm with Bob.........no carryover stock other than overnight.......the 
rest gets disposed of.
-- 
Murray McGregor

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