Thank you for this very importent detail on OA and VG using. This year I already used 2 times the strips with Randy's formulas. The result is extremely effectif. I will apply your presctiption on next application.
To add to the 3 or flour strips conversation. We traditionally used only 2 grams of vapor per double deeps. We found it wasn't enough and moved to 3 or 4 grams in many cases of vapor treatment and it made a world of difference. If a colony is ventilated well, even in hot weather it doesn't hurt them. This is the same in other types of chemicals, ventilation I think is of most importance even in vapor treatment.
Good Video Chris, The strips made to Russel's Recipe will be a little more concentrated oxalic dose on each strip, would that mean that the bees are picking up more oxalic when in contact with the strips? I guess the real important thing is testing hives for Varroa and knocking the ratio of Varroa per 100 bees right down and keeping it down. I would like to get the ratio of WASPS per 100 bees down. My Hives have been hammered at Waitati this year!
Hi Pete, yes you are possibly right, although fewer bees will come into direct contact with the strips. As you say, the real test is what is happening to the varroa levels. My hives had lots of wasps about this autumn too. Cheers Chris
It seems that there is a fairly large "error margin" in the amount of OA needed to knock down mites. And bees can adapt easier than beekeepers. 😅 That said, I would keep the concentration of the OA moderate and enlarge the exposed surface area.
Very interesting. I was on a bee chat last night and they were saying 1:1 or 50/50 by weight. Using 2 strips. Of course our government has made it clearly illegal to do this treatment. So "if" one was to go rouge I doubt they would worry about dosage. A beekeeper from Canada, said "depending on the your state" and the US beekeeper replied "in my mind I'm from the state of Independence " 😅😅😅
Hi Chris, thank you very much for the update! Since you know your current method works, why not experiment say on 10 hives with the suggested ratio and compare the results. If I recall correctly, using your current formula (same I'm using) you still had mites or for the most part prevented numbers from going up. Maybe Russel's ratio, would do better?? For my part, I'm happy with the current mix, but might do some testing as time allows. Cheers, Peter
Hi, a hot summers day here is about 30 degrees centigrade. I don't have any issues at that temperature. I don't have any experience at hotter temperatures. If you summer gets hotter I suggest you try it with a hive or two so see. I am pretty confident it will be fine, but it pays to be cautious. I use 4 strips per brood box. Cheers Chris
I want to share one observation. The bees cover the strips with propolis and during colony development in early spring, the strips absorb moisture in the hive. Do you have some. What needs to be done about theese issues?
Neither of those things are a concern to me, in my opinion what matters is that despite that the strips kill the mites and my hives thrive as a result. Cheers
Opt 1. If the way you currently do it works, I'd stick with that. When I made strips for my 2 hives, I had massive bee deaths (which I asked you about at the time). Clearly I hadn't done the maths right which is no surprise to me, not my forte. Checking dead bees out front today I see mites so tomorrow I will make a new batch. I will use the 40/60% by weight rule (3 per BBox) as this will be easier mathswise for me, fingers crossed. I'm thankful for this video! Cheers 👍
Hey Chris, I did it! Did 40/60 mix, got to correct temp 70deg and dried them over 3 good days in Lower Hutt (last time they went in damp as instructions I had said but I followed you this time and let them dry, esp cos evenings are cold). I put 4 per box. No deaths of bees this time! Checked white corflute I put under hives today and counted 17 mites under one hive and 20 under other so I don't think I had a bad infestation but I'm feeling much better about my OA strip making skills -yay! THANK YOU HEAPS!
To add to the mix Russell is using a old mix I showed him at a bee Conference a few years ago. I do my mix by volume and I'll try to explain why soon he changed his mix to be by weight to look different. What I didn't explain at the conference I am a beekeeper after all was oxclic and gly are hydropic ie they absorb water. So someone who has a different bag of oxclic or it's been open for some time it will weigh differently. I see a lot of and deal with a lot of people who have killed there hives or it hasn't worked out. Because I did a video of how I make my strips after my non disclosure for testing the real strips had ended. But the way I make my strips has changed since I made that video it is not correct it will work to a fashion but is not as good as how I do it now, also nothing I've seen has worked as well as the real strips. I would ask why you have to sign a waiver to not hold beequip or Russell liable if his strips he sells kill your hibes. This is all my 2cents worth and my opinion only but you ether make your own and take the risk or use something that is approved for sale as a mite treatment. I'd also question why it's going to cost 300k to one company to approve the real strips for testing that has been done overseas and none of the other treatments have gone through. We have been home brewing for long enough to prove it is a viable option let's get some help to get the real thing approved. They are approved in many overseas countrys and have a proven record.
Also should add your method is close I use 4 strips per brood box I run double brood boxes and most of my hives have drone frames all season for my Ai work and mating sites
Thanks for the feedback Glynn. I think your point about the ingredients being hydroscopic is really helpful In my case, it wouldn't affect the glycerine much because it is stored in 20 liter plastic containers with the lids on securely, but I do almost always have a partly used bag of OA in storage. Although there is a plastic liner in the bag and I always tie it shut, the liner is thin plastic and easily punctured so it is hard to ensure there is no air flowing in and out. I won't comment on why Russell uses a disclaimer form, he explained his reasons to me, but best if you get it directly from him. I can say that I pointed out to him that in a past life I explored the use of them for a National sporting body I was president of. The legal advice we got was that they are not worth the paper they are written on, you can't contract your way out of the law. I agree that getting something new but proven approved for commercial production in NZ is absurdly expensive. In the meantime, I will just keep doing my home brew as part of my varroa treatment programme because it is working for me as a good tool for keeping mite levels low, not so good at bringing down high mite levels. Cheers Chris
Hi, I don't have a definitive answer for that. Last I heard the scientists weren't sure how OA kills mites. All I know is that it works. It would be interesting, but entirely academic, to know more. Cheers
@@KiwiWildman thank you for your return answer. I keep ktbh and just now have stumbled on to these strips. I should think it will help a lot. Best of luck my friend down under. Kentucky USA
Hello there, long time😁 Do you think swedish sponges will still work in this case? Also, you say 4 strips per 10 frame box, since we run double deeps, would that mean 8 strips, or 4? And how long do you leave the strips in. Our honey flow continues for about another month so I am preparing to try this method in a few hives. Our weather will be quite warm then so hopefully this won't be of concern with ventilation. Thanks for these videos, I'm hoping for success with this testing here
Hi. Its good to hear from you. Yes I am sure the swedish sponges work. Check out my Ep 50 where I do a comparison. Randy Oliver has done extensive testing on them in a far more scientific way than anything I do and he likes them. I checked one of the hives that I put swedish sponges in in that video a week or so ago, it is very strong and very healthy. Which is great since we are well into winter here. And yes, a double deep with brood in both boxes would get 8 cardboard or drywall tape strips. I have had no problems with hot weather affecting the hives with strips in them here. But a hot day here is 25 C (77F) so I don't have any experience at hotter temps. Good luck, I hope it works for you. I think trying it on a few hives as a first step is very wise. Cheers Chris
@@KiwiWildman I did watch that video, and the comparison was great. Randy is really good at this. Many of us here are doing our own testing quietly and many have had good results. I thank you again for all your videos and will let you know how our results end up, cheers.
nice video Chris .the results are what count. what is the difference in percentage on the mite count .if yours is under 3 percent on a consistent level then In my mind your on the ring track. loving it
Thank you for this very importent detail on OA and VG using. This year I already used 2 times the strips with Randy's formulas. The result is extremely effectif. I will apply your presctiption on next application.
To add to the 3 or flour strips conversation. We traditionally used only 2 grams of vapor per double deeps. We found it wasn't enough and moved to 3 or 4 grams in many cases of vapor treatment and it made a world of difference. If a colony is ventilated well, even in hot weather it doesn't hurt them. This is the same in other types of chemicals, ventilation I think is of most importance even in vapor treatment.
Good Video Chris,
The strips made to Russel's Recipe will be a little more concentrated oxalic dose on each strip, would that mean that the bees are picking up more oxalic when in contact with the strips?
I guess the real important thing is testing hives for Varroa and knocking the ratio of Varroa per 100 bees right down and keeping it down.
I would like to get the ratio of WASPS per 100 bees down. My Hives have been hammered at Waitati this year!
Hi Pete, yes you are possibly right, although fewer bees will come into direct contact with the strips. As you say, the real test is what is happening to the varroa levels. My hives had lots of wasps about this autumn too. Cheers Chris
It seems that there is a fairly large "error margin" in the amount of OA needed to knock down mites. And bees can adapt easier than beekeepers. 😅
That said, I would keep the concentration of the OA moderate and enlarge the exposed surface area.
Bump it up. Love your videos
Very interesting. I was on a bee chat last night and they were saying 1:1 or 50/50 by weight. Using 2 strips. Of course our government has made it clearly illegal to do this treatment. So "if" one was to go rouge I doubt they would worry about dosage. A beekeeper from Canada, said "depending on the your state" and the US beekeeper replied "in my mind I'm from the state of Independence " 😅😅😅
you should be a court recorder, you got that word for word. ; -)
Lol Phil and spot on.
Hi Chris, thank you very much for the update! Since you know your current method works, why not experiment say on 10 hives with the suggested ratio and compare the results. If I recall correctly, using your current formula (same I'm using) you still had mites or for the most part prevented numbers from going up. Maybe Russel's ratio, would do better?? For my part, I'm happy with the current mix, but might do some testing as time allows. Cheers, Peter
Hi Peter, words of wisdom indeed! What a great suggestion. Thank you Cheers Chris
HI~
The video looks good. I have one question. I would like to know if I can make an oxalic acid strip and use it during hot summer days. thank you.
Hi, a hot summers day here is about 30 degrees centigrade. I don't have any issues at that temperature. I don't have any experience at hotter temperatures. If you summer gets hotter I suggest you try it with a hive or two so see. I am pretty confident it will be fine, but it pays to be cautious. I use 4 strips per brood box. Cheers Chris
I want to share one observation. The bees cover the strips with propolis and during colony development in early spring, the strips absorb moisture in the hive. Do you have some. What needs to be done about theese issues?
Neither of those things are a concern to me, in my opinion what matters is that despite that the strips kill the mites and my hives thrive as a result. Cheers
I can see where the maths when wrong, therefore I would correct the calculation and continue with 4 strips. It's only going to kill the mites.
Opt 1. If the way you currently do it works, I'd stick with that. When I made strips for my 2 hives, I had massive bee deaths (which I asked you about at the time). Clearly I hadn't done the maths right which is no surprise to me, not my forte. Checking dead bees out front today I see mites so tomorrow I will make a new batch. I will use the 40/60% by weight rule (3 per BBox) as this will be easier mathswise for me, fingers crossed. I'm thankful for this video! Cheers 👍
Hey Chris, I did it! Did 40/60 mix, got to correct temp 70deg and dried them over 3 good days in Lower Hutt (last time they went in damp as instructions I had said but I followed you this time and let them dry, esp cos evenings are cold). I put 4 per box. No deaths of bees this time! Checked white corflute I put under hives today and counted 17 mites under one hive and 20 under other so I don't think I had a bad infestation but I'm feeling much better about my OA strip making skills -yay! THANK YOU HEAPS!
To add to the mix Russell is using a old mix I showed him at a bee Conference a few years ago. I do my mix by volume and I'll try to explain why soon he changed his mix to be by weight to look different. What I didn't explain at the conference I am a beekeeper after all was oxclic and gly are hydropic ie they absorb water. So someone who has a different bag of oxclic or it's been open for some time it will weigh differently. I see a lot of and deal with a lot of people who have killed there hives or it hasn't worked out.
Because I did a video of how I make my strips after my non disclosure for testing the real strips had ended.
But the way I make my strips has changed since I made that video it is not correct it will work to a fashion but is not as good as how I do it now, also nothing I've seen has worked as well as the real strips. I would ask why you have to sign a waiver to not hold beequip or Russell liable if his strips he sells kill your hibes. This is all my 2cents worth and my opinion only but you ether make your own and take the risk or use something that is approved for sale as a mite treatment.
I'd also question why it's going to cost 300k to one company to approve the real strips for testing that has been done overseas and none of the other treatments have gone through.
We have been home brewing for long enough to prove it is a viable option let's get some help to get the real thing approved. They are approved in many overseas countrys and have a proven record.
Also should add your method is close I use 4 strips per brood box I run double brood boxes and most of my hives have drone frames all season for my Ai work and mating sites
Thanks for the feedback Glynn. I think your point about the ingredients being hydroscopic is really helpful In my case, it wouldn't affect the glycerine much because it is stored in 20 liter plastic containers with the lids on securely, but I do almost always have a partly used bag of OA in storage. Although there is a plastic liner in the bag and I always tie it shut, the liner is thin plastic and easily punctured so it is hard to ensure there is no air flowing in and out.
I won't comment on why Russell uses a disclaimer form, he explained his reasons to me, but best if you get it directly from him. I can say that I pointed out to him that in a past life I explored the use of them for a National sporting body I was president of. The legal advice we got was that they are not worth the paper they are written on, you can't contract your way out of the law.
I agree that getting something new but proven approved for commercial production in NZ is absurdly expensive. In the meantime, I will just keep doing my home brew as part of my varroa treatment programme because it is working for me as a good tool for keeping mite levels low, not so good at bringing down high mite levels.
Cheers Chris
For sure bump it up.....
👍👍👍
What is the reason that the strips work… is it gassing off or the mites migrate on to the strips
Hi, I don't have a definitive answer for that. Last I heard the scientists weren't sure how OA kills mites. All I know is that it works. It would be interesting, but entirely academic, to know more. Cheers
@@KiwiWildman thank you for your return answer. I keep ktbh and just now have stumbled on to these strips. I should think it will help a lot. Best of luck my friend down under. Kentucky USA
My vote is hammer those mites. Option 3. And hit em with 3 doses of vapor just to get em on the run!
And speaking of vapor, I just ordered the gasvap because of a comment I saw on your video about the instant Vap. I can't wait to try it out.
Hello there, long time😁 Do you think swedish sponges will still work in this case? Also, you say 4 strips per 10 frame box, since we run double deeps, would that mean 8 strips, or 4? And how long do you leave the strips in. Our honey flow continues for about another month so I am preparing to try this method in a few hives. Our weather will be quite warm then so hopefully this won't be of concern with ventilation. Thanks for these videos, I'm hoping for success with this testing here
Hi. Its good to hear from you. Yes I am sure the swedish sponges work. Check out my Ep 50 where I do a comparison. Randy Oliver has done extensive testing on them in a far more scientific way than anything I do and he likes them. I checked one of the hives that I put swedish sponges in in that video a week or so ago, it is very strong and very healthy. Which is great since we are well into winter here. And yes, a double deep with brood in both boxes would get 8 cardboard or drywall tape strips. I have had no problems with hot weather affecting the hives with strips in them here. But a hot day here is 25 C (77F) so I don't have any experience at hotter temps. Good luck, I hope it works for you. I think trying it on a few hives as a first step is very wise. Cheers Chris
@@KiwiWildman I did watch that video, and the comparison was great. Randy is really good at this. Many of us here are doing our own testing quietly and many have had good results. I thank you again for all your videos and will let you know how our results end up, cheers.
Option 1
nice video Chris .the results are what count. what is the difference in percentage on the mite count .if yours is under 3 percent on a consistent level then In my mind your on the ring track.
loving it
Please where I contact you thanks
If you have any questions I am happy to answer them here :) Or you can PM my Fraser Bees Facebook page. Cheers Chris