Hello Grant
In Switzerland the official beekeeping research center proposes to use OA
either in liquid
form (drops of OA are put on the combs) or in vapourized form. As the vapor
method can be done up to a
minimum temperature of approx 5 degrees centigrade, it is recommended for a
treatment in November or
early December when there is no brood. There is no information of any
resistance to OA from Swiss sources
and here we probably have the most experience because it is used for several
years now. OA is very powerful,
it kills nearly all mites when applied during broodless season (I think
around 97 %). OA does not give
residues within wax or honey. In honey, there are little quantities of OA
from nature.
BUT
... the first but is it is not to be used several times. It is strongly
proposed to use it only
once a year, twice at most. The bees are harmed to a small extent and more
than one treatment will
likely kill to many queens! So there is a big difference to FGMO! FGMO is
not poisonous to bees and can -
according to Dr. Pedro Rodriguez - be applied many times without harm to the
bees.
... the second but is again the problem of harming bees. There are hints,
that the treatments are harming
the bees, especially the sight. That is why it is only to be used once. The
bees then are dying after winter
anyway and the new bees for summer did not have an OA treatment and thus are
not harmed yet. But we have one
bee that overlives the workes, it is the queen. Although the officials say,
it does not harm the queen too
much, I am not so sure. Many friends here in Switzerland in my region are
telling stories of hives that suddenly
died in the second year (after the second OA treatment). There is
unfortunately no scientific evidence or research
of this. I myself will not use either OA nor Formic Acid for these reasons.
Both acids are very strong. OA is
even dangerous to people, this is why you have to wear a gas mask and
goggles when applying it. So what, if
OA and FA are a no go for me? I clearly have decided to go with small cells
as from next spring on. Until my
bees are varroa tolerant, I will use mainly powdered sugar and essential oil
of peppermint, both do not have
any lethal dosis for bees (meaning you can give them as much as you like and
they are not harmed). I will try
also as a third method FGMO this spring, as this method also only uses oil
that could even be used in food for
humans and is not poisonous. This method appeals to me certainly much more
than the OA.
Hopefully in 3 years, I will be over with the varroa and all the rest of the
diseases and mites and bugs (shb) and
will not have to use any treatment at all anymore.
FINALLY
... even if I do not propose to use OA. If you still want to try it, there
are a good vapourizers here in
Switzerland that have been developed specially for this purpose. One is
using electricity (an auto battery will do)
the other using propane. If you want one, I could organize it.
Hope I could give you some new thoughts.
regards,
Dieter Schuerer
Switzerland
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