# OAV Help...



## allniter (Aug 22, 2011)

yes --CANDY can be on -----use a1/2 copper sweat cap = 2 grams----a touch more than 2 grams will not hurt any- I sweat a #12 solid wire on the cap for a handle ----drill hole in side and sweat the wire --the bees will move around some --


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

One quarter teaspoon equals roughly (good enough) one gram of OA in the commonly available form of wood bleach.

Didn't you say you have a Varrox? If so, look under the winged part. Mine had two tiny clear plastic scoops Scotch-taped on there. One scoop per box, of any size (deep, medium and 10 or 8 framers.)

You want them unclustered, so smoke them a bit. If some fly out won't kill them instananeously. It was in the single digits here today one of my hives was buzzing about. When it started to chill down I expected to see lots of them frozen outside, but they apparently worked it out and they were all safely back in again when I checked.

Enj.


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## Dwain Jansen (Jul 4, 2015)

Thanks. I will check under the wings of the Varrox. I have not had it out of the box yet. I was concerned because I was always told you dont want to break the cluster in the winter time and they should not fly under about 50 degrees, so didnt know if I should smoke them or not. The temp shoukd be about 45 today, so I would still be good to smoke them?

Thanks a lot!


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## jbraun (Nov 13, 2013)

I'm going to feed sugar bricks to my hives today for the same reason your are doing your OAV today.This looks like our last chance for a few weeks.


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Integrity of clustering is one of the beek "rules" that the bees in my hives don't seem to follow too closely. I don't go out of my way to break them up, but my bees move around in their hives all the time in winter on their own. I have tracked them with an IR temp gauge. At 45 F my bees would be out and around if it was also sunny and calm. Hoping I get a day that warm soon, so I can do my last treatment.

Enj.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

mine were foraging for maple pollen last yr @ 38 deg if some fly out at 45 you'll be fine.


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## Dwain Jansen (Jul 4, 2015)

Well, there was indeed 2 little scoops under the wings of the Varrox. Since I have a deep with a medium on top, I used 2 scoops of acid. Vaporization seemed to go ok...no bees seemed irritated, and none came out of the hive at all. So, I think things are good. Thank You all for your help and suggestions. I did check the candyboard, and they have chewed through the center of it. I will be keeping an eye on their candy for the winter, and I was thinking today, if I need to add a second candyboard, I see no reason I cant just place the new one over the existing one. Sounds logical, right? Thanks again!


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

enjambres said:


> Integrity of clustering is one of the beek "rules" that the bees in my hives don't seem to follow too closely. I don't go out of my way to break them up, but my bees move around in their hives all the time in winter on their own. I have tracked them with an IR temp gauge. At 45 F my bees would be out and around if it was also sunny and calm. Hoping I get a day that warm soon, so I can do my last treatment.
> 
> Enj.


There was a study done back around 1972 in which they instrumented hives with about 196 thermocouples each, enough to plot the warm spot produced by the cluster. Paging thru the study, you can watch the cluster move around and change shape. When it is not quite warm enough to break cluster, the cluster will still skooch over toward some honey stores, and change shape like an amoeba to get at the honey.

Superorganism indeed!


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm reading this because our new Varrocleaner is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. Same thinking!


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I was inspired by all this mite-killing and tried to do the same here on a day when it finally hit the reported minimum usable temp of of 37F at 3:15 pm. Can't say it was particularly successful, as for the first time since I've used my Varrox I got an incomplete burn-off (and noticed that the appearance of the trace of vapors was very late in the first interval, perhaps indicating a longer time to get to the sublimation temps.) I think the air temp affected the wand, and perhaps the battery, though it was freshly charged and stored indoors prior to going out to the bee yard. I only did two colonies before abandoning the effort. Will try again Friday, and with the battery tucked into an insulated box to keep it warm. Glad to hear Dwain J's efforts were more successful than mine.

Enj.


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## Dwain Jansen (Jul 4, 2015)

Well, everything seemed to burn good on my end. I did a test burn first, wasnt all vaporized in the 2:30 timeframe, but realized afterthe vaporizer was unpluged, it still vaporized unt it was all gone. So, I did the actual treatment and had it all vaporize as well. Now, after finished, and knowing it was an acid that was in the vaporizer, I wonder if I should clean it somehow with Baking Soda or something to neutralize the acid? Enjambres, good luck, and thanks for all your help and the help of others that respond to my posts.

8


Dwain Jansen said:


> Good day,
> 
> I will be doing my first OAV tomorrow using my new Varrox. The temp will be around 45 degrees. I have a few last minute questions.
> 
> ...


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## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

Dwain Jansen said:


> Well, everything seemed to burn good on my end. I did a test burn first, wasnt all vaporized in the 2:30 timeframe, but realized afterthe vaporizer was unpluged, it still vaporized unt it was all gone. So, I did the actual treatment and had it all vaporize as well. Now, after finished, and knowing it was an acid that was in the vaporizer, I wonder if I should clean it somehow with Baking Soda or something to neutralize the acid? Enjambres, good luck, and thanks for all your help and the help of others that respond to my posts.
> 
> 8


2:30 is not enough in my experience. When you do your test burn, watch it The first batch of smoke is water vapor, it dies down and the starts up again, that the OA.
How long it takes depends on the power source. For my first hive I shoot for 3:30 after that with a warmed up tool, I shoot for 3:00. however, I don't remove the tool, I unplug it and let it cool without moving it for about 30 seconds so it can burn everything off before the temps drop. I use two and prep the next hive while the first burns, the start the second hive while the first cools.
good luck!


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## Dwain Jansen (Jul 4, 2015)

Robbin...when I did mine, I left the vaporizer in for 10 minutes after I unplugged it. Left everything closed up so as to not let vapors out. This was my first time doing it, I think it went well...and only one hive. I know I will get more experience with it. Wondering nkw when I should treat again? I only did this one treatment and know they are broodless now, but at some point next year I know I will need to treat every 5 days for 3 weeks. Just wonder when a good time to do that is? I have heard treat in early spring and again in late fall.


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## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

Dwain Jansen said:


> Robbin...when I did mine, I left the vaporizer in for 10 minutes after I unplugged it. Left everything closed up so as to not let vapors out. This was my first time doing it, I think it went well...and only one hive. I know I will get more experience with it. Wondering nkw when I should treat again? I only did this one treatment and know they are broodless now, but at some point next year I know I will need to treat every 5 days for 3 weeks. Just wonder when a good time to do that is? I have heard treat in early spring and again in late fall.


Broodless is the ideal time. However, I'll toss in some ways that I do it, for the sake of speed, that may not be the best, but darn sure work but I'm sure I'll be roundly criticized, but that's ok, it works for me. To start with I no longer test. Drop counts are a waste of time if they always come back positive. You should do them before starting treatment and after each treatment so you can see how OAV works. In Florida, every hive I ever tested before treatment, needed treatment. That may not be the case where you live. Numbers fell dramatically following treatments with diminishing returns stopping me at the 3rd treatment. I've done as many as 5 and counted dead mites. I prefer 3 treatments at 7 days apart. Mostly because I only have weekends and it works.
Do your drop counts for 3 days following a treatment. The second day is the largest drop most of the time. I go from Thousands, to a hundred to about a dozen or so each time, so I don't count anymore, and rarely treat more than 3 times. I treat twice a year on a schedule. 3 treatments 7 days a part. First series is the week after the honey supers come off in the summer. Second series is in late fall, usually around thanksgiving here. Before it gets cold and after any fall flow. I rarely button down a hive when I treat anymore. I see little difference in the effectiveness when I block the entrance (top and bottom) and when I don't. So now I don't. I never leave the vaporizer in the hive after I've turned it off for more than about 30 seconds. More than that would slow me down from preparing the next hive. I use a water jug and dip the cup for a split second. Enough to cool it off enough that the next load doesn't start to melt. A quick wipe, and I'm loading and prepping the next hive while the previous one is cooking. I use a stop watch so I'm never in doubt about how long it has been cooking. I use a smoker to watch the wind AND a respirator. Work the hives so I'm moving upwind to go to the next hive.

That's how I do it, I'm sure it's more effective to block the hive off for 10 minutes and if I had two hives I would. I can tell you this, I kill a ton of mites...
Good luck


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## Dwain Jansen (Jul 4, 2015)

Thanks Robbin. Can you tell me what respirator you use?


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## allniter (Aug 22, 2011)

ROBIN --I do about every thing same way U do --EXCEPT---- U treat on SUNDAY 1---next SUNDAY treat again 2--next SUNDAY treat 3 ---that is only 14 days --if there is any brood that was capped --before 1st treatment --say Friday OR Saturday OR SUNDAY morning before treating ---those mites that got under the caps will not be treated-------I treat 4 times 0r U can spread out your days a little to get a brood cycle in --21 days 

treated 4 times SEPT.-- 4 times -OCT.--- 1 time in -NOV. 1 time -JAN. -I treated today it was 41 up north today ---bees were flying good --also check weigh for store


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