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  • Fogging Oxalic acid for Varroa control - discuss

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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #4686  by Sipa
 01 Sep 2019, 16:14
Fogging Oxalic acid for varroa control is widely used across Europe, Australasia and North America with good results as I understand it whilst being a very cheap treatment option.

And yet it remains an un-approved treatment here in the UK ?
 #4690  by Chrisbarlow
 01 Sep 2019, 16:50
I don't think it is unapproved as long as you use api-bioxal as your oxalic acid source, could be wrong though.
 #4691  by Sipa
 01 Sep 2019, 17:42
Chrisbarlow wrote:
01 Sep 2019, 16:50
I don't think it is unapproved as long as you use api-bioxal as your oxalic acid source, could be wrong though.
For fogging the Oxalic acid needs a carrier, 70% Alchohol, some add mineral oil in which case you should add an emulsifier such as lecithin.

So it's not just about the source of Oxalic Acid
 #4692  by NigelP
 01 Sep 2019, 17:53
Fogging is not the same as sublimation and not sure it is that widely used. More expensive as you need the carrier (Iethanol) and little literature to suggest it is effective
I know many who mistakenly think it is sublimation....but that's another story...LOL.
 #4693  by Sipa
 01 Sep 2019, 18:07
I didn't suggest it was sublimation.
Although there isn't much peer reviewed work out there at the moment, there is heaps of anecdotal evidence suggesting it is effective.

Part of the attraction is the speed of application (faster than vapourising) and mobility. This is especially important if you have a lot of colonies to treat.
 #4701  by NigelP
 02 Sep 2019, 09:02
Sipa wrote:
01 Sep 2019, 18:07


Part of the attraction is the speed of application (faster than vapourising) and mobility. This is especially important if you have a lot of colonies to treat.
Depends how you are sublimating, with my sublimox it's around 30 seconds per hive, but as you say portability is an issue as you are lugging a portable generator about at out apiaries. But it's no big deal.
Be interesting to see how you get on.
 #4703  by AdamD
 02 Sep 2019, 14:02
It always takes a while for something to be approved in the UK. (Not always a bad thing) So I am not holding my breath about using it soon. It would be good to get some good studies done as the authorities won't approve on the basis of anecdotal evidence.
 #4706  by Japey Edge
 02 Sep 2019, 16:37
What's the deal with varroa control and the authorities then? So many questions... Sorry guys!!

1. Are there methods in use (unofficially) that are prohibited by UK law?
2. Who do these prohibitions apply to? - ie to hobbyist beekeepers / honey sellers / bee farmers etc.?
3. What are the implications if found using these methods?

Because there are so many methods posted on forums it's easy to be drawn in without realising it could be restricted. I'm guessing since Apitraz is readily available it's OK to use in the UK. This last bit is heading slightly off-topic but just a quick one - is thymol restricted?
 #4707  by Sipa
 02 Sep 2019, 17:15
If applying treatments to bees you are required to keep Veterinary Medicines Records, that said I don't know many who do.

On the question of "unofficial treatments", there are many in use and as far as I can see nobody seems to care.

The one exception and rightly so, would be the use of antibiotics which is strictly prohibited unless approved by your bee inspector in the most extreme of circumstances if at all.