# OA multiple times



## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I use 4 of them. I've been getting good results with 4 treatments - once/week for 4 weeks. Still treating this fall and have 2 more to go.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

I do three treatments, one per week for three weeks around the last part of August after the supers are pulled, this knocks the mites down and allows for several healthy brood cycles before winter sets in, I will do one single treatment at Thanksgiving when the bees have slowed their brood rearing as one final mite sweep before winter sets in.

I cannot give you any insight into the Heilyser device as I have no experience with it, I built my own pipe applicator.


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

I have been useing the Heilyser burner for about 4 years, once a week, 3 times. Been very happy with the results


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

danno said:


> I have been useing the Heilyser burner ... once a week, 3 times. Been very happy with the results


Use a combination of MAQS and the Heilyser burner (not on the same hives) and happy with both results....


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Thanks for all replies. Looks like something that would help me out.


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

I wired my Heilyser burner to 20 ft of lamp cord and 2 large aligator clamps. At the dollar store I bought 5 $1.00 programable timers. To plug enterences I use 2" strips of carpet foam pad. I pull into a yard getting close enough that I can use my truck battery and reach at least 2 pallets. I place 4 timers preset for 10 minutes and 4 strips of foam on a pallet. Pop the hood and place a timer on my battery preset for 2 minutes. Fill the burner push it into the 1st and plug with foam. Go to the truck hook it up and start the 2 minute timer. When it beeps I disconnect the battery, pull the burner and replug the enterence with the foam and start a 10 minute timer on top of that colony. I then move to #2 and repeat. By the time I finish #4 the 1st 10 minute timer begins beeping. I unplug colony number 1 and move timer and carpet plug to the 2nd pallet and again repeat. It talks me about 1.5 hours to treat 20 colonies


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I use 4 Heilysers. I put one in a hive, fire it up, move to the next hive, fire it up, etc. By the time I finish it's time to remove the 1st one. I then dip it [only the bowl] in water, let it cool a little more, pull the second, etc. I do not close up the hives anymore. I find [with alcohol shakes] the results are almost the same and it saves me time and effort. I take about 90 seconds/hive when I'm finished in total time.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

You still use a cloth or foam on each hive to seal off during vaporization time?


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

camero7 said:


> I use 4 Heilysers. I put one in a hive, fire it up, move to the next hive, fire it up, etc. By the time I finish it's time to remove the 1st one. I then dip it [only the bowl] in water, let it cool a little more, pull the second, etc. I do not close up the hives anymore. I find [with alcohol shakes] the results are almost the same and it saves me time and effort. I take about 90 seconds/hive when I'm finished in total time.


very interesting! I only do the 10 minute sealup because Heilyser told me I needed to 4 years ago. This year I am treating about 70 colonies and it becoming to labor intense. How many colonies are you treating? How long have you been doing it? I considered buying 3 more units and loading a pallet of 4, doing the burn and moveing to the next.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

RAK said:


> You still use a cloth or foam on each hive to seal off during vaporization time?


no I quit sealing at all. too much trouble for very minimal results IMO.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

danno said:


> very interesting! I only do the 10 minute sealup because Heilyser told me I needed to 4 years ago. This year I am treating about 70 colonies and it becoming to labor intense. How many colonies are you treating? How long have you been doing it? I considered buying 3 more units and loading a pallet of 4, doing the burn and moveing to the next.


I'm treating about 30 colonies. I think you'll like using more than one. I use a battery pack to power the units. So everything is very mobile and I'm not tied to the truck. Battery pack will do about 10 - 15 hives without a recharge, so I have 4 of them too. I got them at at an Enterprise sale. Pretty cheap. check around you'll get them cheap. This is my 3 year using this method. I will do a cleanup after Thanksgiving.


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

do you have upper enterences?


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

On most of the hives I have upper and lower entrances. A few are still just lower entrances.


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## danno (Dec 17, 2007)

Thanks alot!!! I have my last round to finish up this weekend and have been really bumming about it. I still think I'll seal the bottom but instead of the foam I think I'll use damp rags. I got a email from Heilyser this morning in responce to a email I sent reguarding cleaning the burner. They said to wash in soap and water but make sure the glow plug is completely dry before running. This is why I'm thinking damp rag and not dipping in water


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I've never cleaned the burners except to scrape with a pocket knife, inside the bowl and around the glow plug. I only dip 1/2 the bowl in water to cool it, never getting the glow plug wet. Be careful cleaning the bowl with damp rags and then running the unit. It is electricity and you might short out the glow plug.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

I don't close the hive any longer either. I run screen BB's with top & bottom entrances. I do slide in a 1/4" board on the bottom (that basically covers the screen) with the vaporizer on top as too many vapors were coming out the bottom......it doesn't take but a minute longer than not doing it.........


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

camero7 said:


> I use a battery pack to power the units. So everything is very mobile and I'm not tied to the truck. Battery pack will do about 10 - 15 hives without a recharge, so I have 4 of them too.


On the battery packs, are you talking about those used to jump start a car/truck?


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Why does Heilyser require a drivers licence and how long does it typically take to come from Canada?


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

RAK said:


> Why does Heilyser require a drivers licence and how long does it typically take to come from Canada?


Don't recall having to provide a DL but if I can remember correctly .....about 2 weeks because you have to write them a check and they wait for it to clear (or at least I did when I got mine).........


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

I've just ordered a Heilyser, if I like it I will get some more and work them as has been described. Is 4 enough to keep one person busy?

Also, I have a small petrol generator that has a 12V outlet, I was thinking of using that rather than a battery. But I guess the amperage might be different than a battery, is there any sensitive electronics built into a Heilyser that could be damaged?


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## jaybees (Jun 7, 2010)

Oldtimer,
The generator would work fine. The Heilser unit does not contain any electronics. I think you
will like the quality of the unit!


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

snl said:


> On the battery packs, are you talking about those used to jump start a car/truck?


Yes


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

RAK said:


> Why does Heilyser require a drivers licence and how long does it typically take to come from Canada?


I didn't need to supply one either. Took a couple of weeks for me too.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Oldtimer said:


> I've just ordered a Heilyser, if I like it I will get some more and work them as has been described. Is 4 enough to keep one person busy?
> 
> Keeps me busy - no waiting or down time.
> 
> Also, I have a small petrol generator that has a 12V outlet, I was thinking of using that rather than a battery. But I guess the amperage might be different than a battery, is there any sensitive electronics built into a Heilyser that could be damaged?


Only a glow plug [I believe it's a volkswagon plug]. Any 12 volt will fire it.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Heilyser is 5 hour drive from my location plus an hour on the ferry... Should receive it soon. I guess I will have to dribble with sucrocide for now until I receive the unit. I have a few tubs of MAQS but scared to use them because they kill off a brood cycle and I need that brood in order to have strong hives for the almonds.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks for the answers guys!


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Camero, Does the vaporizer fit into 3/8 entrances?


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

No, it's a tight fit on 3/4". But it's simple to use the hive tool to lift the front of the hive and slide it in.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Any problems with burning bottom of frames?


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Sometimes I melt a little wax in the frame above the vaporizer. But my PF100's don't melt or warp from it.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

jaybees said:


> Oldtimer,
> The generator would work fine. The Heilser unit does not contain any electronics. I think you
> will like the quality of the unit!


Thanks, you are dead right. I also emailed Heilyser about it and they said the generator will be fine.

My Heilyser has arrived, very impressed with the speed of delivery. I have tried it, works fine, just, maybe, a little quick I'm worried some of the OA may get converted to formic. But in any case, certainly made a nice cloud of vapor which I'm sure will totally permeate a hive. I'm going with the generator because it's actually easier to carry than a battery, and no worries about it going flat. I'm thinking of using a slightly different method, to make sure I get timing right but without having to mess with timers. What I'm thinking is get maybe ten Heilyser vaporisers and connect them all to the generator. Slide each one into a hive ( I use solid bottom boards ), then turn the generator on and run around putting towels over each entrance. After 1 minute, or whatever it takes, turn the generator off and walk around pulling the Heilysers. Repeat till the yard's done.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Oldtimer, the 12v outlet from the generator may not be enough capacity for 4 of the vaporizers at once. I am not sure what particular glo plug Heilyser uses but they are commonly about 12 amps current draw each.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks Crofter, I've now wired it up and tried it, for the one vaporiser it is even faster on the generator, than on the car battery, so it should be able to run two anyway. But unfortunately there is no documentation with my generator so I don't know what the maximum amperage is. I may take it to an electrician to find out.


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