As we prepare our hives for winter, don’t forget to treat one last time for mites. At our November club meeting “Oxalic Acid Treatment” will be one of the topics.
Here are some key points about Oxalic Acid treatment for mites:
- Oxalic acid that does not build up in wax
- Oxalic Acid Dihydrate – when buying look for 95% to 100% pure
- Perfect time to treat your hives when broodless
- Ideal treatment window (late Nov – late Dec)
- Ideal temperatures (32 – 50 degrees)
- Always follow manufacturer instructions!
Here are three excellent references for more information about both the Oxalic Dribble approach and the Oxalic Vaporization approach. I would really encourage you to checkout these references as they are packed with great information:
Honey Bee Health Coalition video:
Slides from November 2020 Club Meeting:
Bee Culture article which includes manufacturer instructions for using Oxalic Acid:
https://www.beeculture.com/using-oxalic-acid/
American Bee Journal article from November 2020 on the Oxalic Dribble method:Schumacher-article_November2020
Jim Stellern
Posted 11/15/2020 and December 21, 2021