Love your videos, I enjoy watching them, you are doing a great job! Thank You !! Thought I would mention this to you as I have found this to be big time saver for me when doing alcohol washes. First, go purchased some 1 lb zip lock plastic bags from the Dollar Store (one bag for each hive). Then right before you collect your sample of 300 bees (1/2 cup) write the hive number on a small piece of paper using a pencil and place it inside the zip lock bag so you can later identify which hive these bees came from. If you use an ink pen it will smear from the condensation the bees will create, so do not use an ink pen. Then collect your sample of 300 bees (1/2 cup) and put them inside a zip lock bag and seal it up with the bees inside the bag. Do that to each hive and when you are finished, collect all of your sample bags and take them to the house. Put them in the freezer, then you can do your alcohol wash on them at a later time. Or you can sit right down in your cool air conditioned house or shed and do your alcohol washes. The advantage of this process is that you are now setting down in a cool comfortable spot inside air conditioning. You are out of the hot sun while you are actually doing the alcohol wash on each of your samples. I find this method much more enjoyable and easier to do. I find doing alcohol washes while sitting down and sipping on my favorite cool beverage much easier and more enjoyable than doing alcohol washes out in the bee yard!! I hope this will help making your alcohol washes more enjoyable.
Awesome comment. Thank you Dale. That sounds like an excellent way to do it. So you just use your 1/2 measuring cup full and dump them in the bag and zip it up.
@@JeromeBeeFarm Yes, I use a 1/2 cup measure, when it is full it will contain approximately 300 bees. I just put the bees in the bag and seal it up. Then I drop it on the ground and go on to the next hive. By the time i get done, most if not all of the bees have expired. I just pick the bags up and take them to the house. When you do your wash, open the bag and pour the bees into the cup of the wash and be sure to look closely at the empty bag for mites, sometimes you may find one there after the bees are removed. I save the bags by rinsing them out inside and out and letting them air dry then I will use them again the next time I check for mites. Good Luck!!
Hi Gary. Yeah, I got a Gorilla Cart. It's nice. I added a plywood bottom and side runners on it. Things would slide around and fall out. lol Thanks for watching.
I use pride professional tees which come in a pack of 40 3 1:4 ins and 12 1 2/2 lengths . The long ones are plenty long enough to stop any propolis build up in the drilled hole u might use for the pro vap and they are cheap.and stay in the hole
On the extention cord rollers if you half the cord and hook the center on the roller then roll it up you can roll it up in half the time and never roll it up backwards. That's what I do. I clean the bottom trays before each OAV treatment so I can count the kill rate and document it per hive. Thanks for the video!!!!
Good idea on the cord. That’s the first time I ever rolled it up backwards. Getting senile. lol. I put the inserts in right before I started, but they are so dirty, it’s hard to tell. I’ll check some this weekend to see if I can spot any. Thanks for watching.
I have the same setup as you do with all the same equipment, I live in Maryland and our bee season is over by the end of October. I started my second Varroa mite treatment program using oxalic acid vapor (OAV) applying it twice a week for six weeks. I will finish my OAV treatments the last week in October. This will be my second year applying OAV twice a week for six weeks, and I did not lose any hives last year. My thought on this is that the bee’s have a tendency to rob out week hives this time of the year and in turn the Varroa mites will hop a ride back with the robber bees and re-infect the strong hives and like you said you are getting the mites that are emerging from under the capping's. I pattern this six week program after Apivar which only kills the prophetic mites.
Hi Charles. I've done 3 so far in three weeks. I want to try to do some sample mite washes and see what I get before I do any more. Good luck in Maryland. Take care.
Great video again Darren. I bought a similar one for around 150. from Weller Bee Supply in Ohio. I really like it and it seems to do good work. I'll know after I finish treating mine just how well it knocks the mites down. Thanks again.
Hi Rob. I'm hearing that there are some less expensive options out there now. I'm glad to hear that. I got mine three years ago when it was about the only thing like it. I did my third treatment today. I'll try to do some mite wash spot checks to see what it looks like. Thanks for watching.
Excellent on getting the mite wash shaker its the best way to know what your mite levels are. I don't necessarily check every hive but a random check of a few will give you a good idea of the mite levels (and bees drift and rob out) so like you I treat everyone based on a few samplings and I know folks will object to that and thats their choice but I have had 100 percent survival for 4 years in a row with this method and using multiple types of treatments and treating more than once a year. I've used OA but not sold on it being the bee all end all treatment.
HI Nancy. It came in yesterday. I need to get my nerve up to give it a try. lol I'll probably do the spot check thing like you do. It makes sense to me to spot check them and not all. We'll see. Thanks for watching.
Darren, thanks for your video. I hope the 3 treatments knocks out all mites. That provap has gone up a little. It’s 485 on your link and over 500 most other places. I like your little blooper at the end!
Hey Don. Either my memory is bad, (which is likely), or the price has gone up. There's also some people who have built their own. If I tried that it probably wouldn't work and I'd have a pile of parts, so I just bought the dang thing. lol Thanks for watching.
Jerome Bee Farm & Homestead There are other vaporizers out there that you can purchase for under $200. I am using one that I purchased from a Gentleman from Canada which works the same way as the $500 model and it works perfectly.
@@oneshoo when I bought this one about 3 years ago, there wasn't any other options other than a few folks were experimenting making themselves. I'm glad to hear there's some competition.
You are right about beekeeping is an expensive hobby. $500 for a vaporizer and another $500 for a generator would pay for a lot of Apivar strips for a small operation. Your new house in the background sure is nice. Have a good weekend.
Yeah, but I haven't bought Apivar strips in 4 years now. lol Last time I used them the bees were major pissed off at me. I think every hive wanted to kill me. lol Yeah, we're enjoying the new house for sure. Wife has been planting a bunch of shrubs and flowers around it. Thanks for stopping in and stay safe.
My variation is to drill the 1/4" hole right at the seam between the bottom box and the top box. There are no obstructions there and the OA vapors seem to billow more freely throughout both boxes. FYI...
That's interesting. I assumed it was done at the bottom because the heat travelled upwards into the other areas. I may experiment with that next time. Thanks for watching.
I bought the wand, it dose take forever if you have many hives. it also is thicker than any of my openings so I have to pry the box off the bottom board on every hive.
Yeah, I agree. I've tried other treatments and this one is least expensive and less evasive, without opening the hive. I used Apivar one time and man, the bees were extremely pissed for quite a while after I put those stips in there. Thanks for watching.
The harbor freight generator is called a tailgater (sp) works great for me and I think it’s lighter than the Honda which I also have . But the tailgater is a two stroke so u have to use a mixed gas and start it accordingly
I was referring to the predator 2000W inverter gen that’s a copy of the Honda I have. It’s super quiet and they only run as fast as the amp draw needs. I put a link in the description. Thanks for watching and commenting
Good info. I think I'll keep using my wand for a while or until they make a less expensive version of the provap. So many "professional" beeks say you and I treat too late in the year. October is too late? I figured it's not freezing and there's still time to make fat bees around here. What do you say?
I’ve always treated in October. I figure there’s less brood and the treatments are more effective. Maybe weaker hives should get it earlier. I’ve been having success, so I figure I’ll keep on keepin on. Once I start the alcohol washes I’ll have a better idea. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I don’t do mite checks either, I just treat. But when the state inspectors came in July, one has 11! I do have a sugar roll kit, but Ithink the alcohol wash is faster, and I read somewhere more accurate. I guess I should be more diligent in my checks. 😬 🐝
Thanks for your video. I'm from Turkey. Here people think that OA should apply only in cold winter because there is no egg. They apply only one hit because all mites on the bees since there is no brude. They also think that it shouldn't apply in autumn or spring because it may cause quen loss etc. ( because of the hot weather condions and also OA has an abrasive effect on bees). But I think this idea is not true. I watch this kind of OA applications abroad on youtube and people use OA applications during the season not only in cold weather conditions. What do you think about it? Do you use it in early spring or summer also?
I do a fall treatment after I do fall harvest, usually late October/November. I may do a spring treatment as well. Yes, the key is to do it when there is the fewest amount of capped larvae (brood) in the hive so the vapors get to the mites and kill them. If you do the treatment when it's really cold and the bees are clustered, I dont' think the fumes will get to the center of the cluster and kill mites inside the cluster. So it's best to do it in the cold season, but on a day bees are flying. Thanks for watching.
@@JeromeBeeFarm Thanks for your answer. Did you obsorve any problem ( for example queen loss or huge amount of bee die) during OA applications especially spring in your colony?
I was under the impression that you should do these treatments early morning or late evening so that all of your bees were in the hive. Is that not an issue?
Hi Danny. It will definitely be better to have as many bees as possible in the hive. The highest concentration of mites is supposed to be on the nurse bees that don't leave the hive, as they hang out on the brood where the mites are breeding and emerging, but they can be on field bees too. If I started that late, I'd be out there well after dark, so I do it when I can. Thanks for watching.
People are freaking out over bird mites. Oh i got varroa, Yes hybrids can get birds mites, The way to solve that problem is with slant roof! Do away with the flat top roofs. To keep birds from bathing in puddles, mites fall off of the birds and work them self into the hives,. Mine got birds mites only 1 time the slant roof didn't away with BIRD MITES!
Love your videos, I enjoy watching them, you are doing a great job! Thank You !!
Thought I would mention this to you as I have found this to be big time saver for me when doing alcohol washes. First, go purchased some 1 lb zip lock plastic bags from the Dollar Store (one bag for each hive). Then right before you collect your sample of 300 bees (1/2 cup) write the hive number on a small piece of paper using a pencil and place it inside the zip lock bag so you can later identify which hive these bees came from. If you use an ink pen it will smear from the condensation the bees will create, so do not use an ink pen. Then collect your sample of 300 bees (1/2 cup) and put them inside a zip lock bag and seal it up with the bees inside the bag. Do that to each hive and when you are finished, collect all of your sample bags and take them to the house. Put them in the freezer, then you can do your alcohol wash on them at a later time. Or you can sit right down in your cool air conditioned house or shed and do your alcohol washes. The advantage of this process is that you are now setting down in a cool comfortable spot inside air conditioning. You are out of the hot sun while you are actually doing the alcohol wash on each of your samples. I find this method much more enjoyable and easier to do. I find doing alcohol washes while sitting down and sipping on my favorite cool beverage much easier and more enjoyable than doing alcohol washes out in the bee yard!!
I hope this will help making your alcohol washes more enjoyable.
Awesome comment. Thank you Dale. That sounds like an excellent way to do it. So you just use your 1/2 measuring cup full and dump them in the bag and zip it up.
@@JeromeBeeFarm Yes
@@JeromeBeeFarm Yes, I use a 1/2 cup measure, when it is full it will contain approximately 300 bees. I just put the bees in the bag and seal it up. Then I drop it on the ground and go on to the next hive. By the time i get done, most if not all of the bees have expired. I just pick the bags up and take them to the house. When you do your wash, open the bag and pour the bees into the cup of the wash and be sure to look closely at the empty bag for mites, sometimes you may find one there after the bees are removed. I save the bags by rinsing them out inside and out and letting them air dry then I will use them again the next time I check for mites. Good Luck!!
Hey Jerome how are you yep it's the trailer that's new. God bless good luck
Hi Gary. Yeah, I got a Gorilla Cart. It's nice. I added a plywood bottom and side runners on it. Things would slide around and fall out. lol Thanks for watching.
I plug the hole in the hive with a golf tee that JohnO told me about. Quick and easy.
Yeah, I've heard of doing that. I have some golf T's somewhere. Thanks for the tip.
I use pride professional tees which come in a pack of 40 3 1:4 ins and 12 1 2/2 lengths . The long ones are plenty long enough to stop any propolis build up in the drilled hole u might use for the pro vap and they are cheap.and stay in the hole
On the extention cord rollers if you half the cord and hook the center on the roller then roll it up you can roll it up in half the time and never roll it up backwards. That's what I do. I clean the bottom trays before each OAV treatment so I can count the kill rate and document it per hive. Thanks for the video!!!!
Good idea on the cord. That’s the first time I ever rolled it up backwards. Getting senile. lol. I put the inserts in right before I started, but they are so dirty, it’s hard to tell. I’ll check some this weekend to see if I can spot any. Thanks for watching.
I have the same setup as you do with all the same equipment, I live in Maryland and our bee season is over by the end of October. I started my second Varroa mite treatment program using oxalic acid vapor (OAV) applying it twice a week for six weeks. I will finish my OAV treatments the last week in October. This will be my second year applying OAV twice a week for six weeks, and I did not lose any hives last year. My thought on this is that the bee’s have a tendency to rob out week hives this time of the year and in turn the Varroa mites will hop a ride back with the robber bees and re-infect the strong hives and like you said you are getting the mites that are emerging from under the capping's. I pattern this six week program after Apivar which only kills the prophetic mites.
Hi Charles. I've done 3 so far in three weeks. I want to try to do some sample mite washes and see what I get before I do any more. Good luck in Maryland. Take care.
Thanks for making videos!
You're welcome!
Great video again Darren. I bought a similar one for around 150. from Weller Bee Supply in Ohio. I really like it and it seems to do good work. I'll know after I finish treating mine just how well it knocks the mites down. Thanks again.
Hi Rob. I'm hearing that there are some less expensive options out there now. I'm glad to hear that. I got mine three years ago when it was about the only thing like it. I did my third treatment today. I'll try to do some mite wash spot checks to see what it looks like. Thanks for watching.
Excellent on getting the mite wash shaker its the best way to know what your mite levels are. I don't necessarily check every hive but a random check of a few will give you a good idea of the mite levels (and bees drift and rob out) so like you I treat everyone based on a few samplings and I know folks will object to that and thats their choice but I have had 100 percent survival for 4 years in a row with this method and using multiple types of treatments and treating more than once a year. I've used OA but not sold on it being the bee all end all treatment.
HI Nancy. It came in yesterday. I need to get my nerve up to give it a try. lol I'll probably do the spot check thing like you do. It makes sense to me to spot check them and not all. We'll see. Thanks for watching.
Darren, thanks for your video. I hope the 3 treatments knocks out all mites. That provap has gone up a little. It’s 485 on your link and over 500 most other places. I like your little blooper at the end!
There are a ton of knockoffs on the internet for around 150.
Hey Don. Either my memory is bad, (which is likely), or the price has gone up. There's also some people who have built their own. If I tried that it probably wouldn't work and I'd have a pile of parts, so I just bought the dang thing. lol Thanks for watching.
Jerome Bee Farm & Homestead
There are other vaporizers out there that you can purchase for under $200. I am using one that I purchased from a Gentleman from Canada which works the same way as the $500 model and it works perfectly.
@@oneshoo when I bought this one about 3 years ago, there wasn't any other options other than a few folks were experimenting making themselves. I'm glad to hear there's some competition.
You are right about beekeeping is an expensive hobby. $500 for a vaporizer and another $500 for a generator would pay for a lot of Apivar strips for a small operation. Your new house in the background sure is nice. Have a good weekend.
Yeah, but I haven't bought Apivar strips in 4 years now. lol Last time I used them the bees were major pissed off at me. I think every hive wanted to kill me. lol Yeah, we're enjoying the new house for sure. Wife has been planting a bunch of shrubs and flowers around it. Thanks for stopping in and stay safe.
My variation is to drill the 1/4" hole right at the seam between the bottom box and the top box. There are no obstructions there and the OA vapors seem to billow more freely throughout both boxes. FYI...
That's interesting. I assumed it was done at the bottom because the heat travelled upwards into the other areas. I may experiment with that next time. Thanks for watching.
I bought the wand, it dose take forever if you have many hives. it also is thicker than any of my openings so I have to pry the box off the bottom board on every hive.
You might check for some other wands. The one I had fit in the entrance. Thanks for watching.
good video, good sublimator
Thanks! Expensive, but I like it.
@@JeromeBeeFarm good mee too
Oxalic acid vapor is the only way to go. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, I agree. I've tried other treatments and this one is least expensive and less evasive, without opening the hive. I used Apivar one time and man, the bees were extremely pissed for quite a while after I put those stips in there. Thanks for watching.
The harbor freight generator is called a tailgater (sp) works great for me and I think it’s lighter than the Honda which I also have . But the tailgater is a two stroke so u have to use a mixed gas and start it accordingly
I was referring to the predator 2000W inverter gen that’s a copy of the Honda I have. It’s super quiet and they only run as fast as the amp draw needs. I put a link in the description. Thanks for watching and commenting
Cheers. The 2000 harbor freight one I think u are referring to is the predator $450.
The tailgater , works the same for the provap runs at $125
Good info. I think I'll keep using my wand for a while or until they make a less expensive version of the provap.
So many "professional" beeks say you and I treat too late in the year. October is too late? I figured it's not freezing and there's still time to make fat bees around here. What do you say?
I’ve always treated in October. I figure there’s less brood and the treatments are more effective. Maybe weaker hives should get it earlier. I’ve been having success, so I figure I’ll keep on keepin on. Once I start the alcohol washes I’ll have a better idea. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I don’t do mite checks either, I just treat. But when the state inspectors came in July, one has 11! I do have a sugar roll kit, but Ithink the alcohol wash is faster, and I read somewhere more accurate. I guess I should be more diligent in my checks. 😬 🐝
Yeah. I guess this way you will know for sure. Plus it was one less thing. lol. Thanks for watching and commenting PD.
Thanks for your video. I'm from Turkey. Here people think that OA should apply only in cold winter because there is no egg. They apply only one hit because all mites on the bees since there is no brude. They also think that it shouldn't apply in autumn or spring because it may cause quen loss etc. ( because of the hot weather condions and also OA has an abrasive effect on bees). But I think this idea is not true. I watch this kind of OA applications abroad on youtube and people use OA applications during the season not only in cold weather conditions. What do you think about it? Do you use it in early spring or summer also?
I do a fall treatment after I do fall harvest, usually late October/November. I may do a spring treatment as well. Yes, the key is to do it when there is the fewest amount of capped larvae (brood) in the hive so the vapors get to the mites and kill them. If you do the treatment when it's really cold and the bees are clustered, I dont' think the fumes will get to the center of the cluster and kill mites inside the cluster. So it's best to do it in the cold season, but on a day bees are flying. Thanks for watching.
@@JeromeBeeFarm Thanks for your answer. Did you obsorve any problem ( for example queen loss or huge amount of bee die) during OA applications especially spring in your colony?
I was under the impression that you should do these treatments early morning or late evening so that all of your bees were in the hive. Is that not an issue?
Hi Danny. It will definitely be better to have as many bees as possible in the hive. The highest concentration of mites is supposed to be on the nurse bees that don't leave the hive, as they hang out on the brood where the mites are breeding and emerging, but they can be on field bees too. If I started that late, I'd be out there well after dark, so I do it when I can. Thanks for watching.
People are freaking out over bird mites. Oh i got varroa, Yes hybrids can get birds mites, The way to solve that problem is with slant roof! Do away with the flat top roofs. To keep birds from bathing in puddles, mites fall off of the birds and work them self into the hives,. Mine got birds mites only 1 time the slant roof didn't away with BIRD MITES!
That seams like a lot of oxalic acid . for one dose I you sure that only 2 grams per double deep ?
One scoop per deep. 1/2 tsp.
Oxallic acid is the toxic substance within rhubarb leaves etc
I think it is considered an ‘organic’ treatment. Similar to using BT in a garden. Thanks for watching and commenting.