Varroa Treatment with Oxalic acid

Belfast beekeepers recognize that Bayvarol and Apistan will play a smaller role in the fight against Varroa when resistant mites arrive or evolve. For this reason we have been investigating the use of Oxalic Acid which is widely used in Europe for the last 10 plus years with claims of efficiency of upto 98%. The options favoured appeared to be vapourization, spraying and dribbling, we chose dribbling as Oxalic Acid vapour is extreamly toxic and often uses expensive heating devices. Spraying has hazzards associated with drifting spray being inhaled therefore has been ruled out.

Dribbling Method
Reseach papers freely published in the public domain provide numberous recipies for preparing Oxalic acid solutions for dribbling. We have taken advice from all these publications and have come up with an easy beekeeper solution for preparing the dribble solution.

Our solution, named 'Varr Clean' is in two parts, part one contains a solution of oxalic acid and stablizer ready mixed. Part 2 contains simple sucrose. Both parts are prepared very accurately so that when combined they form a single solution which is 'Dribble Ready'. Simply dribble 5ml per seam of bees and bobs yer uncle - done.

Part's 1 and 2 plus detailed instructions to treat 5 hives are available to beekeepers from Philip or Alan in the Belfast and District Beekeepers Association