How to Use Formic Acid to Treat Varroa Mites

This video shows when and how to apply formic acid to control varroa mites.
The only legal formic acid product in the United States is Mite Away Quick Strips (or MAQS), a biodegradable gel strip of 46.7 percent formic acid. In Canada, both MAQS and 65 percent formic acid liquid are legally permitted. Formic acid be a useful tool for reducing varroa mite populations within an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach. Always read the product label to make sure you are applying the product safely and correctly, and always resample after treatment to confirm that the treatment worked.
This is the sixth in a series of short videos from the Honey Bee Health Coalition on how to manage varroa mites successfully.
Why should you effectively manage varroa mites in your honey bee colonies? Every honey bee colony in North America either has varroa mites or will in just a few months. When colonies are not treated, or are treated ineffectively, they weaken and may be more susceptible to other negative factors, such as pesticide damage, virus infections, and other maladies. Failure to control mites endangers not only your colonies but also colonies in other apiaries and feral honey bees in your area. Widespread colony deaths can cause major economic damage for beekeepers and harm essential agricultural pollination services.
Whether you have a few colonies or you manage large apiaries, these videos show practical steps you can use to better control varroa mites.
LINKS:
The Honey Bee Health Coalition: honeybeehealthcoalition.org
More varroa resources: honeybeehealthcoalition.org/v...

[@user-wc4ge2hh7e]

Good job

[@roberto1s2peyrot]

Buen video. Muchas gracias.

[@jasondalauta7675]

Nice video very informative

[@charlesoneill466]

Thanks

[@juicychills7546]

I use a pad (sanitary napkin) or stick soaked with formic acid, works great.

[@neildavidson8097]

Good

[@davemaloneyvideos]

Are you going to update this video to include Formic Pro?

[@neildavidson8097]

good advice. the strips allocated on shop cloth .is this at the 42 percent as the macs pads also do you need 2 pads or single.

[@SirCamsmorethanalot]

doesn't even shake bees off strip before chucking in bag.

[@konstantinosbriasoulis3379]

Hi , How much (ml ) formic Acid , has every strip?

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

15ml @ 65% concentration (check out scientificbeekeeping) That's if you add it yourself, these MAQS are lower concentration. If you just buy pure(ish) Formic Acid, it's cheap and easy to make these pads. Go to a butcher and ask for a few of those meat blood soaking pads placed at the bottom of meat/poultry packs. Make a bunch, store them in plastic ziploc bags and use them when needed. Easy peasy!

[@mark-ish]

Formic Acid (incl formates) 42.25%
Other ingredients 57.75%

[@Joseph-Colin-EXP]

@@cluelessbeekeeping1322 you're a beast thos is exactly what I've been looking for. Formic acid is so cheap. But the pads and all the shenanigans of this product or that. Give me a break, thought of using felt from a craft store and just loading it up with the straight formic acid. Bag to slow the spread.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@Joseph-Colin-EXP DUDE.
It's simple.
Think outside the box.
I go to butchers at large groceries and ask them for those weird little plastic pads they put beneath chicken to soak up blood.
I then melt a few larger holes in the bottom of JUST the plastic.
Then...add the correct concentration of formic acid (I think it's 65%) to the pad...Boom
Acid costs almost nothing, the pads are free.
I've also just used t-shirt and soak them with formic acid and throw them in the bottom (cotton)

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@Joseph-Colin-EXP It's been so long I didn't realize I basically rewrote what I said above...my bad.
Ya man, you can treat for practically nothing.
Same with Oxalic acid.

[@georgegarcia5052]

Great series! It was a little sad to see you crush a bee between hive bodies ... perhaps brush the bees off before applying the strips directly on them? Thanks for your consideration.

[@SirCamsmorethanalot]

Really, no delicacy here...crush crush crush when no need.

[@bio-amarant]

Интересная мысль. Попробуем.

[@reaganbreeze600]

Is it normal to see a few dead bees when the formic acid is applied?

[@lylephipps3437]

Usually undertaker bees carry the bees away from the hive but some get dropped. Sick bees crawl or get kicked out so it is likely that the dead bees that your are seeing are dead because of the varoosis you are treating.