How To Kill Varroa Mites

In this week’s video, I show you how to use the Instant Vap, talk about some of the features I really love and most importantly – tell you how to enter the competition to win a FREE INSTANT VAP WORTH £375

WATCH on YOUTUBE - HERE

If you want to learn a bit more about Oxalic Acid sublimation and why I personally use the Instant Vap over it's competitors, scroll down...

after watching the video of course! :)

The Instant Vap is a highly effective Oxalic Acid (OA) sublimator – a method of converting Oxalic Acid from a solid state into a gaseous form. This technique has gained popularity among beekeepers worldwide as it offers a safe and efficient means of reducing Varroa mite infestations within your bee colonies. We find it an integral part of our pest management plan.

Many of the other machines that I have used for OA sublimation over the years have proven unreliable over time. I no longer use my Gas Vap or Sublimox. They are just too unreliable to have a dedicated place in my apiary and I never liked opening up my hives when its so cold to dribble OA solution over my bees.

So What is Sublimating Oxalic Acid?

Sublimation is the process of changing a substance from a solid directly into a gas without passing through a liquid phase. When we sublimate Oxalic Acid, it vaporises into a gas, which can permeate the hive and efficiently eliminate Varroa mites without harming your bees.

Why Choose Sublimation of Oxalic Acid over other treatments?

Effectiveness: Sublimated Oxalic Acid is highly effective in controlling Varroa mites. It can reach all areas in the hive and directly targets the phoretic mites (these are the ones that are visible on the bees). OA doesn't impact any mites that are within capped brood and this is why its important to time the treatment to align with when your colony is broodless. An effective OA sublimation treatment, timed to when the colony is broodless can kill up to 95% of the mites within a colony!

Bee Safety: This method is gentle on your bees and when used correctly it minimises stress and harm to the colony. The bees seem able to cope with repeated cycles of treatment with no detrimental effect

Reduced Residue: Compared to other treatments, sublimating Oxalic Acid leaves minimal residues in your hive, ensuring the long-term health of your bees and the quality of your honey. Compared to Amitraz based miticides, this can dramatically improve the management of your beehives and offers greater flexibility as there is less contamination of the wax frames. At BMH, we use a combination of the two. Apivar in August to Oct and Apibioxal in Nov/Dec.

How to Sublimate Oxalic Acid

Safety Precautions: Always wear proper protective gear, including a beekeeping suit, gloves and a mask to protect yourself when handling Oxalic Acid.

Here are the PPE items that we use from Amazon:

Respirator - https://amzn.to/3u1Xzok

Goggles - https://amzn.to/46ZS887

Equipment: Acquire a sublimation device specifically designed for Oxalic Acid treatment. These devices are widely available in beekeeping supply stores but we recommend the Instant VAP - BUY HERE

You can specify the type of 18v battery to use with your Instant Vap. We use a brand new 18v 6ah battery from Makita. Don't use replicas and don't use anything under 5AH unless you have multiple batteries. We find we get about 15-20 blasts with a 6AH battery, inc warm up time.

Timing: Choose a time when your hive is broodless, such as during winter or early spring when the brood cycle is at its lowest. Checking to see if the colony is broodless is often counterproductive as it can be very damaging to remove frames at that point in the year. Just go for the seasonal average. In the UK from mid Nov to early Dec is a good bet. Try and choose a day when its around 10c-12c.

Ideally you want the bees to not be flying but not clustered tightly. Somewhere in the middle is ideal - no flyers with a loose cluster should be achieved around 10-12c

Preparation: Measure the correct dosage of Oxalic Acid (or Apibioxal if you are in the UK) and place it in the sublimation device. 1g for nucs, 2g for double nucs and up to 4 frames for full size colonies if you are outside the UK.

Application: Seal the roof and mesh floor. Insert the device into the hive entrance and gently release the Oxalic Acid vapor trying to minimise any that escapes. Ensure you follow the recommended application rate for your colony size. If you watch the video - I go into much more detail on the application and instructions for the use of the InstantVap.

Safety: Avoid direct contact with the Oxalic Acid vapor. Use a mask to prevent inhalation. You don't even the slightest whiff of sublimated OA. Its horrible stuff!

Observation: Monitor your hive for Varroa mite drop after treatment. A drop in mites is an indication of successful control. Repeat if a very high drop is achieved at 5 day intervals until the point where sublimation causes no noticeable drop in mites.

Additional Information

If you have any questions or need further guidance on this method, feel free to reach out to me and I will get back to you with any queries you may have. You can reply to this email and I will respond as soon as I can :)

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