Properly treat bees with oxalic acid

What you need:

• Oxalic acid dihydrate solution 3.5% or
• Oxuvar
• or another means (ask your veterinarian or pharmacy)
• 60 milliliter syringe or dropper bottle
• Protective gloves and goggles
• provided water in case of emergency

Ants- and oxalic acid are the most important means with which the beekeeper can take action against the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor). Although both are acids, they are used differently on bees.

Take action against varroa in bees

• The Varroa mite is an arachnid that lives as a parasite on the honey bee. It feeds on the blood of the bees, thereby weakening them, but at the same time also transmits various viruses, which in turn harm the bees. If you as a beekeeper do not take consistent action against the mites, there is a risk that your colonies will die.
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• It is best if you combine several methods. In spring, it has proven useful to hang one or two frames without a central wall in the colonies, in which the bees build honeycombs for rearing drones. Since the mite develops preferentially in the drone brood, you can remove these combs from the hive. This automatically removes part of the mite population.
• Second, in late summer, it is necessary to treat the colonies with formic acid. However, this is only possible after you have brought in the last honey harvest. This means that you can only introduce formic acid into the bee colonies after the last spin. As described in this article, there are several factors to consider.
• The third measure is treatment with oxalic acid. It only takes place in winter, when the colonies are brood-free.


Bees and Formic Acid - Tips for Correct Use

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Oxalic acid - use in winter

• Oxalic acid is an organic acid. The veterinary medicinal product acts as a contact poison. So it does not affect the capped brood cells and is therefore only used in brood-free colonies. When the first frosts appear in November, the queen will stop laying eggs. About three weeks later, usually in December, you can assume that the colonies will no longer keep brood. Then is the right time for an oxalic acid treatment.
• There are several ways to use it: vaporizing, spraying and dripping. The most common method is to instill the acid in the honeycomb alleys. Outside temperatures of three to five degrees are recommended, but it can also be a little colder.
• For the trickle method, you can use ready-made products. Inquire at a pharmacy or veterinarian. The solution is drawn up with a syringe and dripped directly onto the bees in the honeycomb alleys.
• In a small colony sitting on a box, add 30 milliliters directly to the winter grape of the Immen. With a large population on two frames, you need up to 60 milliliters. The rule of thumb is to use four to five milliliters of oxalic acid solution per honeycomb lane. If you drip on more, you will harm the bees. So go to work with caution and calm.
• Caution is also advised personally when handling the acid. It is poisonous and harms the skin, eyes and especially if inhaled in the lungs. So wear safety glasses and rubber gloves. Have water ready so that you can rinse immediately if the acid gets on your skin.
• Your bees are treated with oxalic acid only once. The saying "double is better!" so does not apply here. With a diaper placed in the prey, you can control the mite fall. Since one short article cannot go into everything that is important for the control of the Varroa mite is, here is the book "Recognizing and successfully combating varroosis" by Dr. Friedrich Pohl recommended.