# ?Best? Varroa Treatment



## Terry G (Feb 6, 2005)

Oxalic Acid is the best. But it mayby to late to use it now because all the hives are brooding up. OA does not kill mites that are under capped brood, so weekly vaporizations will be nessasary now to get decent effectiveness. 

Formic acid pads are another good choice, again weekly treatments will be nesassary to get maximum effectivness. I use mitewipe pads which basicly are like the absorbant pads used to absorb the juice from a steak that is packaged forsale in a grocery store. they hold approx 40 ml of formic. 3 applications one week apart is all that is required.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

My favorite mite solution is small cell. My favorite treatment is Oxalic acid vapor.

Apistan is no longer considered effective here in this area. Checkmite is not something I want in my hives.


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## jnbgcpd (Apr 10, 2004)

thanks for the replies. I agree with you Michael about not wanting the harsh chemicals in the hive.

At this time of the year would the Oxalic Acid be the best or Formic Acid??? THanks


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have never used Formic Acid. First, the commercial grade has low levels of Lead and other heavy metals. Second, the higher queen losses worry me. Third, it's difficult to find it or get it shipped in any form (commercial grade or food grade).

The Oxalic (or any other treatment) would have been more effective in the fall after brood rearing stopped or in the spring before it really kicks in. I'm guessing now, in NC you'll have a lot of capped brood with mites in it and Oxalic acid won't kill those.


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## jnbgcpd (Apr 10, 2004)

Thanks again for all the great replies. So here is another question about this. I have 10 hives and 3 nucs. Probably 4 of the hives have a high mite count on them now. What would you suggest to treat them with? Would FGMO knock the levels of mites down during this spring and honey flow and then later on use OA?? Does anyone have any suggestions for a plan to treat these hives?


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## chemistbert (Mar 4, 2004)

As I understand it. If you make three treatments every two weeks with OA you will get most of the mites as you are hitting the ones as they emerge before the have the chance to breed.


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## Axtmann (Dec 29, 2002)

I should nock on wood, thanks to the OA vapor (my only Varroa treatment) I havent lost a colony this winter. Two are weak, out of 39, but thats my best over wintering ever and I have bees since 1975.

@ Jnbgcpd 
IMO I would treat the hives with OA vapor as often as necessary. Monitor the mites on a sticky cardboard and treat every week till there less than 3 mites a few days after the treatment. Without the honey super on there is no problem with OA. With a honey super the volume in the hive is bigger and you need more OA. I would put a piece of paper between brood and honey before the treatment and not harvest honey before at least 15 days waiting time.

No commends to the FGMO treatment from my site.


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## jnbgcpd (Apr 10, 2004)

so is it safe to use the OA now even with the supers on if i have 15 days before the flow??


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

jnbgcpd;Oxalic Acid

http://www.honeybeeworld.com/formic/default.htm

Terry


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## jnbgcpd (Apr 10, 2004)

Thanks for the replys. Might take the supers off and treat, then put them back on. I have at least 3 weeks to the flow really starts here.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Antero,
When you just add a link you fail to answer a question. We can go to the link and not find the answer we are looking for. In my case I get sidetracked for an extended period of time  

If you have an idea of what the answer is, please state it, and THEN back it up with a link.
Thanks,


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

Bullseye Bill--- Sorry ,just trying to help.

Terry


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

Oh, I know, and we appreciate everyones input, but your effort is being lost when we don't know what you are trying to relay.

For example the question wether OA could be used with supers on.
Jim would say absolutely not (I bet)
I think that it would be safe to vaporize with them on from what I have heard from lecturers and scientific reports of the trace amounts left after vaporizing and giving the normal amounts in foods including honey is more than what is being used to treat the hive.

A more conservative answer is to tell someone to put newspaper inbetween the supers and hive to lessen the amount of OA that would neeed to be used and to keep the OA out of the supers, or to just remove them while treating.


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