# Formic acid 65%



## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

You can buy 95% formic acid in the US - and dilute it if you want 65%.

http://www.dudadiesel.com/search.ph...kf47MhNhaVNXySa0qAc2gL1CY-qzWR18aAihgEALw_wcB

That site sells products for producing 'bio-diesel'.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

that seems pretty cheap! How do they put the formic acid in the hives? What kind of pads are they using?
Does it work for them like MAQS/formic pro here?


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## mjl328 (Jun 9, 2012)

Has anyone ever made there own homemade Formica acid pads with butcher meat pads


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

if you want to know all there is about your own formic treatments and availability of pads this is the place to go, I haven't checked recently but last time I printed out his information it was enough to kill the winter reading:applause:

http://www.mitegone.com/

just remember I warned you. opcorn:


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

wildbranch2007 said:


> if you want to know all there is about your own formic treatments and availability of pads this is the place to go, I haven't checked recently but last time I printed out his information it was enough to kill the winter reading:applause:
> 
> http://www.mitegone.com/
> 
> just remember I warned you. opcorn:


seems maybe too much like hard work?


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I have a few gallons of 95% formic available if someone wants to come here and collect it. I used 50% formic on meat pads and also made up a few fume boards and that was what I used 6 to 7 years ago. However I found the treatment with formic was not consistent due to temperature fluctuations and also the size of the cluster which would also alter the efficiency of the system. After 2 years I went to OAV and am still using OAV.
Johno


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## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

I use formic pads, we buy the 65% formic thru bee supply places here. Respirator and gloves when working with formic is the drill for us. To do 2 dozen colonies put that many pads into a container, measure in the right amount of formic then put a lid on the container and give it time to soak into all the pads evenly. Once in the bee yard with the bucket of pads, pop the lid, smoke bees away from the center of the top bars, place the pad and put the lid back on is how we apply it. When folks at the bee club ask me about formic, what I say is this. If you plan to use raw formic, invest in the respirator and proper gloves for handling the acid and pads. If you are only doing a small number of hives and/or you are unsure about handling the acid, just buy the strips and do it the easy way by following the directions. At this time of the year, pay close attention to temperatures. If you put pads on when it's to warm, the stuff vaporizes out of the pad to fast and will do more harm than good. We like to apply formic pads in the early evening when temperatures are falling.

I know other folks that do formic as essentially a flash treatment by using paper towels as the carrier vs meat pads.

In our case, the drill works along this line. Honey supers come off around June 1 after spring flow is done. Once the supers are off, a round of formic pads goes on. A couple weeks later we move the bees out to the summer yards and then the supers go back on. I started pulling supers in a summer yard yesterday, bees will come home next week. Once home they may get another round of formic pads of counts are up.


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