I had a look at the new acetic acid fumigation video on the U of Guelph website. It's a clear demonstration of their method, and the health and safety component is loud and clear.  Thanks to Paul Kelly and team for putting this together!

However, I am concerned about the practicality of this indoor approach. How many beekeepers, particularly smaller scale ones, have access to a dedicated indoor space where they can maintain the temperature at 30 deg. C for two weeks?  I certainly do not, and I don't know of many other beeks here in Newfoundland who do either.

What about approaches that involve outdoor fumigation?

Veteran Nova Scotian beekeeper, Tony Phillips, places a stack of deeps with frames/comb outdoors on a pallet during warmer weather, then covers it with a clear, plastic, fertilizer tote bag liner for 7+ days. The plastic bag acts like a greenhouse and warms the interior on cooler days (e.g., +10 deg. C).   Acetic acid is poured on a rag in a tray in an empty top box (the purpose of the rag is to speed up evaporation).   He checks the rag after 7 days or so to see if it's dry and has yielded all its acid as vapour.  If still moist, he lets the fumigation process continue a bit longer.

This chap at Canyon Rim Honey Bees wraps seams between boxes with shrink wrap to prepare for outdoor fumigation.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDgkzLEJquw

I wonder if there's a scientific way to obtain comb spore count data in response to fumigation where temperatures fluctuate up and down below 30 deg. C, and there's fluctuating ambient humidity?

I haven't seen anything in the literature in this regard…

In any event, I guess the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Tony's method yields "clean" equipment, as determined I imagine by relatively low levels of nosemosis in his colonies...

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