|
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
High 7°C Low -6°C
Normals: Max: 3°C
Min: -8°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
Well, I've done a lot of writing
lately. (See Previous Page)
Have I have run out of material? We'll see.
I have some beekeeping
to do if the weather is decent today. I should check the hives, sample
mites and maybe treat with oxalic acid drip, then wrap the hives. It's
around zero and foggy at 9:30, but the sun came out for a few minutes and I
think it will warm up.
*
* * * *
* *
I worked a bit more on
the
Honey Bee World Forum
today, and unlocked some topics which had somehow
become locked in the upgrade, so the board should be accessible for signing up
and posting.
Let me know
if there are any problems. I also fixed a lot of links on this site,
but there are more to go.
*
* * * *
* *
I see now that we have some action in the forum.
|
I have found the best way to give advice to your
children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do
it.
Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972) |
As for the outside work, we
stayed in. The fog did not lift, so we worked on
El's website and some mugs for
promotion and for Christmas instead
*
* * * *
* *
Today is Remembrance Day in Canada,
and we take some time to think about war. Especially we are reminded to
think about the "brave men who fought for our freedom", and we do, and we
appreciate very much that we are free, and can only begin to imagine what they
went through, what they had to do and what they had to suffer.
While the day was originally set
aside in Canada and the Empire of the time in remembrance of the First World
War, over the years other wars have been added to the list, and, when we stop to
think, we realise that there are wars raging in numerous places around the world
at this moment.
While we are officially urged to
remember the soldiers, and their sacrifices, I cannot help but also think of the
other victims of war: the babies and children, the women and the old people.
War seems so brutal, destructive and senseless, and yet humankind has seldom
been at peace for long, and we have recently seen wars that involve 'advanced',
'civilized' nations that -- one would think -- should be able to find a better
way.
On the anniversary of that armistice,
let us all pray that, "...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more".
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008
High 12°C Low -3°C
Normals: Max: 3°C
Min: -8°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
 "Good
Morning, I live in the State of Michigan near the Canadian Border, I saw
your picture of the handle cutter for boxes, is this something that you
made, and if so how does it work?"
Yes we built it and it works well. This machine has been the subject of
quite a lot of interest, so I'll try to take more pictures and discuss
this more here as I find time. I'm now
working on a page describing the building of the hand hole cutter.
See here |
I'm off to work outside, but I just
got a note from Jose with a PDF copy of Changes in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera:
Apidae) Colony and Survival Pre- and Postarrival of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) in
Louisiana. Very interesting.
Download it here.
Apparently he and his friends have documented increasing tolerance to varroa in
feral bees in Louisiana over the past two decades.
*
* * * *
* *
 We
worked on the quonset and did not get around to the bees. Here is a shot
of the patch job. The job is incomplete, as we still have to stretch the
skin out over the end, and we still have some welding to do.
Inland's tarp tape is magic,
but it is hard to find. I know Inland's owner and gave him a call, then
picked some up at the factory. We know John from the early years of
Inland's bee wrap manufacturing. In fact, come to think of it, maybe the
bee wraps were our idea. I've had a few good ideas over the years.
|
Happiness is an imaginary
condition, formerly attributed by the living to the dead, now
usually attributed by adults to children, and by children to adults.
Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973) "Emotions" |
The tape is 12" wide and of a 'peel
& stick' design. 50' cost $109 retail. Unfortunately, the tarp
material is lighter weight compared to good tarps, but it should serve well,
seeing as it sticks even in 10 degree C weather.
*
* * * *
* *
I spent some time this evening
repairing the links and pages from the year
2005, the last year I maintained the
diary until now. The pages were quite a mess. It was fun to look
back into the past. How time flies!
I've been playing with various
browsers to view these pages. Although it works in all, it seems that
Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) has a bug that make the window wide, with
scroll bars when a small window is used, instead of scaling the image at the top
of the page. Firefox, on the other hand scales the picture nicely. I
rally have little preference between the two, but usually find myself employing
Maxthon2 for my daily
browsing, since it is a very high-powered browser. It is built on MSIE.
There is an add-on for MSIE that gives it some of the Maxthon features,
including ad blocking: IE7Pro.
Try it. You'll like it.
*
* * * *
* *
Speaking of ads, you'll notice that
I have added Google Ads to my pages. I resisted such crass commercialism
in the past, but figure most of these ads are actually useful -- they are served
according to page content and thus actually offer relevant offers -- and not too
annoying, I hope. I've already made $34.02! Big deal, but a buck is
a buck and we'll see what happens. Interestingly, if you install IE7Pro
(above) and have the default ad blocker on, you won't see them.
Thursday, November 13th, 2008
High 3°C Low -5°C
Normals: Max: 3°C
Min: -8°C
WIND WARNING
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
Forecast
Issued: 5.00 AM MST Thursday 13 Nov 2008
Today:
Becoming cloudy this morning with 30 percent
chance of flurries or rain showers. Wind
becoming northwest 30 km/h near noon except 60
gusting to 80 over eastern sections this
afternoon. High plus 4.
Wind
warning in effect.
In the wake of a
cold front moving southward through Alberta
today strong northwest winds will develop over
central and eastern portions of Alberta.
Northwest winds 60 km/hour gusting to 80 are
expected to develop this morning. Winds are
forecast to begin diminishing this evening.
Tonight: Cloudy. 30
percent chance of flurries early this evening.
Clearing overnight. Wind northwest 30 km/h
except 60 gusting to 80 over eastern sections
this evening. Wind becoming light overnight. Low
minus 5.
Friday: Sunny. Wind
northwest 20 km/h becoming light in the
afternoon. High plus 4.
Saturday: Sunny. Low
minus 5. High 16.
|
Wind Warning! Good thing I got
most of the quonset work done yesterday. Hopefully the wind will actually
help tighten up the skin by flexing the building so that the lines we installed
and the rubber straps -- I have yet to put them on -- can pull it into place
better. It needs to be stretched out over the end of the frame, as can be
seen in yesterday's picture.
|
A lot of people mistake a
short memory for a clear conscience. -
Doug Larson |
It
is amazing to see the quonset walls flex in strong winds. They can flex
almost a foot, so one thing we leaned early on was not to stack right to the
walls. The building has held up for ten years or so now, so we worry less
than when we first saw that happening. I used to worry that the tarp would
lift off, but one of the clever things about the design is that, in addition to
the anchors screwed into the ground, there are 3-foot flaps at the bottom of the
sides that are buried with several inches of dirt. Pulling those up would
take a tremendous force.
*
* * * *
* *
The forecast looks good
for getting my bee work done in the next couple of days. Saturday looks
good. We're having friends over for Sunday lunch, though, so I should try
to be done by then.
*
* * * *
* *
Here are my most recent
BEE-L posts.
|
067166 |
08/11/09 |
Re: healthier colonies |
|
067188 |
08/11/10 |
Re: healthier colonies |
|
067189 |
08/11/10 |
Re: Genetic compatibility
effects on caste determination |
|
067196 |
08/11/11 |
Re: Beekeepers protest
outside Downing Street |
|
067199 |
08/11/11 |
Re: Genetic compatibility
effects on caste determination |
|
067203 |
08/11/11 |
Re: Caucasian bees. |
|
067220 |
08/11/12 |
Re: Genetic
compatibility effects on caste determination |
|
067222 |
08/11/12 |
Re: healthier
colonies |
|
067224 |
08/11/12 |
PDF Problem Fixed |
|
067240 |
08/11/13 |
Re: Penn State
Backgrounder on CCD |
 (Later)
We put on the rubber straps before the wind picked up and loosened the cover a
bit so the material could move endwise. Everything seems to be working
well. The tape is holding, although it was cold and some spots needed
pressing down again. The tarp is moving and I should be able to fasten it
more permanently tomorrow. The wind got nasty and cold, so we went in.
I found that I had misplaced my camera and went back out. I was glad I
did because the wind had been strong enough to budge a pallet of bricks to which
I was tying down the frame.
*
* * * *
* *
I've
finished (for now) pages describing the building and use of the hand hole
cutter. See here.
Questions and comments can be
directed to
the Honey Bee World Forum
Friday, November 14th, 2008
High 4°C Low -5°C
Normals: Max: 2°C
Min: -9°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
|
067266 |
Re: The USA is in bad need of new genetics
from abroad |
|
067255 |
Re: Penn State Backgrounder on CCD |
|
067254 |
Re: Parasitism in the honey bee colony |
|
067253 |
Re: The USA is in bad need of new genetics
from abroad |
|
067247 |
The USA is in bad need of new genetics from
abroad |
|
It is impossible to
defeat an ignorant man in argument.
William G. McAdoo (1863 - 1941) |
We worked on the quonset some more, tightening
the skin. The wind yesterday helped tighten the frame, and we also moved
the ends back into position, since they had spread out a bit over the years.
Late in the afternoon, I went to town and stocked
up on groceries just before supper. I notice prices have moved up a bit.
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
High 8°C Low -5°C
Normals: Max: 2°C
Min: -9°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
This was
the day I was planning to work on my bees because the weather was to warm and
sunny. Now I see the forecast has changed. Hmmm. I guess I'll
have to do it anyhow, since I am running out of time.
*
* * * *
* *
|
For every problem, there
is one solution which is simple, neat and wrong.-- Henry Louis
Mencken (1880-1956) |
I have been vaguely aware of the
upcoming
2009 Annual Canadian Beekeepers Convention, but
Malcolm's letter reminded me again. Wonder if I should go? It looks
promising.
Here is the agenda. The
last time I attended a
meeting in Niagara Falls was 2002. I'm off to Laguna Beach for
Thanksgiving, but could either go directly to Niagara Falls or come home, then
go there.
Participating are: The
Canadian Honey Council, the Canadian
Association of Professional
Apiculturists and the
The Ontario Beekeepers' Association. The meeting is to be held at the
Hilton Hotel in Niagara Falls, on December 10-13, 2008, Rooms are $89.
That is Canadian $, and the Canadian dollar is at a 20% discount!
*
* * * *
* *
Guess what. It was warm and
sunny after all. I went to sample the bees for varroa and found that
gathering a sample from tightly clustered bees is not that simple. I went
for my Dust Buster and found that the battery is very flat. Snookered, for now.
Anyone have good ideas on gathering 1/4 cup of bees from the brood chamber
without causing mayhem?
At any rate we finished
straightening up the quonset, and it looks like new.
|
067284 |
08/11/15 |
Wholebee Concept |
|
067289 |
08/11/15 |
Re: The USA is in
bad need of new genetics from abroad |
|
067290 |
08/11/15 |
Re: Wholebee
Concept |
|
067291 |
08/11/15 |
Niagara Falls |
|
067296 |
08/11/15 |
A method of
converting the crystallised honey in frames |
|
067295 |
08/11/15 |
Plugging with
Excess Pollen |
* *
* * * *
*
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
High 3°C Low -2°C
Normals: Max: 1°C
Min: -9°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
|
Recipe:
-
Brown two pie shells
in the oven at around 350
-
precook broccoli and
cauliflower al dente
-
thaw and husk large
shrimp
-
place shredded or
sheet cheese into the bottom of the crust
-
place broccoli and
cauliflower and shrimp into crust and arrange them fairly
densely level with crust edges
-
break about 6 eggs
for each crust into a bowl, add a bit of water, cream or
milk and salt and pepper to taste
-
beat well for a
minute or two.
-
Pour immediately
over the vegetables in the crust, filling the crust almost
brim full
-
Sprinkle or place
cheese over the surface
-
bake in oven for
about 40 minutes or until the eggs are set well and the surface
becomes dry and slightly brown
Leave the cheese out
if anyone does not like cheese. Also, ham can be
substituted for the shrimp.
|
We have snow. Looks like about
an inch. Tomorrow is predicted to be 14c, so I don't expect it will last.
Company is expected at noon.
I'm making quiche, as I learned to do while visiting Aaron this summer.
|
067304 |
Re: Plugging with Excess Pollen |
|
067305 |
Re: A method of converting the crystallised
honey in frames |
|
067314 |
Re: Why The Wiki Page on CCD is So Lame |
|
067315 |
Re: FW: The USA is in bad need of new genetics
from abroad |
|
067317 |
Re: A method of converting the crystallised
honey in frames |
|
067321 |
Re: FW: The USA is in bad need of new genetics
from abroad |
|
067334 |
Beebread |
|
067335 |
Re: A method of converting the crystallised
honey in frames |
|
067336 |
Re: Why The Wiki Page on CCD is So Lame |
|
067342 |
Re: Why The Wiki Page on CCD is So Lame |
* *
* * * *
*
| Dear Allen
I read your page on 'Should We
Really Be Using Foundation in Beehives' quite some time ago and put it
on my to read and digest fully list, which I did this evening.
I understand that the issue of small cell foundation is very
controversial but have wavered on my journey from commercial foundation
to natural cell to check out the work of Dee Lusby which deserves
careful consideration.
Last season I set up two colonies
in natural cell Kenyan Top Bar hives and have decided that I shall
continue on the path that I was taking to dispense with foundation in
all my hives. Dee herself lists many of the reasons why this is a good
strategy (foundation is a reservoir for foul brood disease, is expensive
and harbours residues of agri biz chemicals and miticides) but for some
reason Dee seems to think that foundation is still necessary.
Discussion of small cell foundation
is not quite such a live issue in the UK as it is in America and I have
been thinking of setting up some small experiments to measure some of
the facts as they apply to the current situation of my bees and
challenging my beekeeping colleagues with the results when I have some,
(hopefully this time next year) and urging them to have a look
themselves and stop complaining that the establishment is not doing any
research for them.
1) Next year I hope to move the top
bar colonies on to empty bars, as part of anti-swarming management, and
when the bees have removed all the remaining honey from these older
combs it will be interesting to measure the cells to see what variety of
sizes the bees have built and where, (local foundation is 5.4mm).
Natural cell comb is not uniform and it is not straight - two very
important facts.
2) My other stratagem is to build
artificial honeycomb of 4.9, 5.4 and 5.7 mm in decimetre sections
(square not rhomboid) and populate these with brood and queen cells
before planting them out in ghetto mini-nuc apiaries (each apiary all
one cell size) to see whether small bees are produced in small cell
sizes and larger bees in larger cell sizes - (I think this is probably a
'No Shit Sherlock' sort of experiment but never mind)
Would small bees then build larger
cells and increase to their previous size or do the bigger bees build
smaller cells and regress towards a smaller size if left to their own
devices on natural cell systems? This might piss manufacturers of
plastic honeycomb off but I shall be no threat to their industry as it
takes me about 10 hours of spare time to build half a decimetre of
artificial comb - but that's another story. It would make a nice study
to be able to look at results from 4.9, 5.4 and 5.7 mm cell size and see
if there are any statistically significant differences (surely there
would be); Currently I am building the cells to a depth of about 1.2 cm
and hope the bees will extend this out further if they require a deeper
cell.
What do you think should be best?
Finally, I have had a look at Grout's 1931 study and wonder what you
thing would be the best anatomical features to measure when assessing
whether they were smaller or larger than bees on other treatments. Thank
you for you patience in reading this.
A London Hobby Beekeeper
My reply:
Interesting questions. I do
approve of top bar hives for hobby use and someday will have some
myself.
As for Dee's ideas, although I
count her as a friend, and am thinking to drop by and visit again
one of these days soon, I have to say I disagree with her assertions
about bee size, etc., I think they are just very convincing
fantasy. This thing about upsizing and downsizing is just what
happens if you constrict bees or vary their feed as larvae.
There is no lasting effect. That is not to say that Dee does not
have a lot of very important ideas, just that she is wrong about
that one thing. She knows I disagree.
For an alternate view, see
Dennis
Murrell's pages where he describes his
experiences. Having followed Dennis through the whole thing, I
have to say that he has left out some details and revised the story
a few times along the way, adopting, then discarding ideas, but has
wound up somewhere near where I am.
Personally, I am not in favour of
forcing bees to do things they would not do themselves, other than
making some extra honey for me. I don't see the point.
My success as a beekeeper has been from assisting them in doing
things the way they are wont to do them, with a little nudge in the
direction that benefits me.
Hope that helps.
|
|
Anyone can do any amount
of work provided it isn't the work he's supposed to be doing at the
moment. -- Robert Benchley |
Our friends came for lunch and we had a good
visit. The quiche turned out fine, but the crust needs work. I had
been buying frozen crusts, but El thought she would make some for me, since the
store crusts are surprisingly expensive for what is in them. Normally she
does not pre-bake crusts, but I do for quiche, and the homemade crusts did not
pre-bake too well for some reason.
* *
* * * *
*
Monday, November 17th, 2008
High 4°C Low 1°C
Normals: Max: 1°C
Min: -9°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
I've been thinking about my bees and the idea
that I should check them further for varroa before wrapping. My attempt to
gather a sample was disappointing, since the bees were slow and tightly
clustered. My Dust Buster only gives a short growl after several hours of
charging, so I doubt it will do the job. I'd have to pull a frame to get
many, and the damage I would do in those well-glued hives is probably just as
bad as the damage, if any, that drizzling oxalic would do.
I think I will just drizzle and be done with it.
Now I have to look up the mixture and find the oxalic gun I bought from
Medivet a year or
two ago. I have the acid handy.
|
Honey Prices
Allen said buyers have been offering to
buy at CAN$1.50. Question, what grade honey? Around here (upstate
NY) barrel sales of white honey (Alfalfa and Sweet Clover) have been
going for $US 1.50, FOB seller. Some sellers are trying to get that
(or $1.45) for ELA, or 'Fall Honey', but I am not aware of sales at
that price. Six weeks ago there was a ready supply of ELA, which I
have reason to think was blueberry, for $1.30. I assume prices for
buckets are higher, but have no personal knowledge. Dutch Gold is
buying large quantities (I know of over 100 barrels) excellent
quality buckwheat for $1.50, but has been reported as 'not buying'
ELA or Sweet Clover.
Interesting, word is that buyers are offering to buy Canadian white
honey at $US 1.23, FOB West Coast of Canada. Sellers in this
neighborhood (East Coast) are offering at $US 1.50, but the large
buyers are responding 'at this time, we are not buying'. Now, we
have very little white honey
available as most is Extra Light Amber (ELA).
One large seller of ELA is offering at $1.30, the others, AFAIK, are
holding out for $1.45-$1.50. My guess is that they are not going to
get it. But,
hey, I wish them luck.
A real problem is that because of Homeland Security regulations it
is about impossible to get a 'one time' shipment of Canadian honey
into the US. That will stop many potential East Coast buyers from
going to Quebec or Ontario
to get honey. |
OK. I found this at
The CHC site:
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
Oxalic acid is for the control of
Varroa mites in honey bee colonies. Apply in late fall to early
spring when monitoring indicates treatment is necessary.
CAUTION: Oxalic Acid may damage bee brood. Oxalic Acid will not
control Varroa mites in capped brood. Use only in late fall to early
spring when little or no brood is present. Do not use when honey
supers are in place to prevent contamination of marketable honey.
SOLUTION METHOD
NOTE: To completely dissolve oxalic acid dihydrate, use warm syrup.
Dissolve 35 g of oxalic acid dihydrate in 1 litre of syrup made from
a 1:1 sugar : water (weight:volume) mixture of sugar and water.
Smoke bees down from the top bars. With a syringe or an applicator,
trickle 5 mL of this solution directly onto the bees in each
occupied bee space in each brood box.
The maximum dose is 50 mL per
colony whether bees are in nucs, single, or multiple brood chambers.
Under certain unfavourable conditions, e.g., weak colonies,
unfavourable overwintering conditions, this application method may
cause some bee mortality or overwintering bee loss. |
Medhat has sent out literature, too. I'm assuming
that they recommendations are consistent. You never know. I think
I'll double check. Things change and these treatments can be damaging if
not done just right.
BEE-L references:
1
2
3
4
5
Looks as if the weather guessers are wrong again.
They have been having a bad run lately. Almost worse than no forecast at
all. At least, without a forecast, there are no expectations.
Today's BEE-L Posts:
|
067375 |
Re:
Honey Prices |
|
067372 |
Who
Said What? |
|
067367 |
Re:
Beebread: bee pathogen reservoir |
|
067366 |
Re: A
method of converting the crystallised honey in frames |
|
067361 |
Feeding
Sucrose in Winter |
|
So far, at eleven AM, the weather looks to poor
for applying oxalic. It is overcast, breezy, cold, and foggy.
I dug around and found the applicator I bought
from Willy a year or two ago and found it has complete instructions.
* *
* * * *
*
|
> I have approx 60 single
colonies that were made up mid August and are now 8-9 frames of Bees
with 6-8 frames of honey. I have to add a second super to each one
so they fit winter wraps. Bees normally move up over winter so
should I under super?
I would. I try not to
disturb the brood nest late in the season.
> I also plan on adding
additional frames of honey so each colony has a minimum of 10 plus
frames, I saved additional frames as I didn't think these colonies
would build up the way they did.
If you can add them on
the outsides without disturbance. Otherwise, they are better in the
bottom box, centre.
> I was also surprised
that most of these colonies still have 1/2 a frame to one full side
of brood. This should help colony have lots of young Bees going into
winter.
Yes, but check the varroa
from the extra brood cycles.
allen |
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
High 9°C Low 1°C
Normals: Max: 1°C
Min: -9°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
It looks as if I may be
able to get out today and finish with the bees. I hope so, because tomorrow, I
will be in Laguna Beach.
|
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006
07:35:36 +0200
Reply-To: Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology
<BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM>
From: Ari Seppälä <komppa-seppala@CO.INET.FI>
Subject: Re: Oxalic
Waldemar:
>I am thinking: in the cold
> temps the cold solution may kill some outer-layer
> bees although this kill may be insignificant.
Waldemar and others !
The weather here usually gets cold before I get a chance to use
oxalic.
Like I wrote before temperatures below 0 C are almost a norm for me
and no problems .
But I do use warm oxalic liquid. + 20 - + 30 C. I have the jar in a
cooler box with a canister
of warm water and only take out the amount needed for one yard at a
time. Sugar syrup with
oxalic runs through a syringe much easier when warm and also makes smaller
drops.
I think that I can hit the bees better with smaller drops and maybe
get a better result.
The oxalic solution should not be kept this warm as acidity breaks
the sugar for HMF which
is harmful for bees. I keep mine cold, and take it in to the house
previous day to warm up.
Normally I only make what I need in the next 2- 3 days. I am using
75 g / 1 litre of
water / 1 kg sugar I know smaller amounts around 60 g do also still
work quite well,
but 75 is no a problem for bees so I use it.
Ari Seppälä
Finland |
I
have the oxalic ready and the sun is shining.
There is still snow on the ground, but I should be able to treat just fine.
I had intended to roll the hives upside down to treat the bottom super, but we
will see if that is practical or not due to the snow.
Guess not. I may
have to throw out the mixture. I'm gone for a while starting tomorrow, and
at 5 degrees C, I'm not going to risk treating.
(Later). Well, I
did it. I read this from Ari and the sun came out a bit, so out I went.
Frankly, like many bee
operations things did not go quite a neatly as the literature might suggest.
First, the bees were
clustered down in the lower boxes and the hives were mostly three high, so I had
to crack the top box. Doing so without a major disturbance is not as easy
as it might sound. Also bees get crushed when the box is replaced.
Not a good idea at this time of year when the bees don't get out much.
Everything felt wrong
and I hope I did more good than damage. I usually avoid disturbance this
late.
Also, I decided that
cracking lids and boxes was wrong, so for the last several, I just rolled them
upside-down and treated them from the bottom, just as I had planned, but not
done since everyone had told me (politely) that was nuts . Much easier.
No disturbance (but the bees are more feisty down there).
Nonetheless, I did not
get to treat two boxes in most cases, and what should have been a precision
operation by all accounts was pretty Mickey Mouse.
The gun is calibrated in
half mLs. Who is anybody I kidding? Application was about as
precision as a water fight between five-year olds. The literature says 5
mL per slot. Well some slots are filled with bees for 12 inches and some
for 5 inches. Both get 5mL? Whatever. Anyways, I got it done.
I hope I had enough
mites to justify the treatment.
Did I just say that?
|
Treating Honey
BeeColonies for Varroa
with Oxalic Acid Drip
(Drizzle Method)
Note: This page is inserted automatically several places on the site
and as a stand-alone page
which I update from time to time. That will explain future events
appearing in the past record
Click on pictures to enlarge |
|
The 'Optimiser"from
Medivet |
The Gun
Gun Setting Indicator
(mL per stroke) |
Medivet's
Instruction
Sheet
Drip Method
Instructions |
|
 In
2008, to treat 10 colonies, I
measured 250mL of sugar and 250mL of water. They weigh about the
same. When I mixed them, I got a little over 400 mL of syrup. That was the
most uncertain part of the task. I then calculated the correct
amount of dihydrate for 400 mL and mixed it up. It did not seem to
harm the bees and they did well in 2009.
From that mixing
experience, I conclude that to get around a litre of
syrup, 20% more, or 600mL of each sugar and water must be used.
To the resulting one litre
of 50/50 syrup, add 35 grams of oxalic acid dihydrate. The acid should
be weighed, since volume is variable. Pre-dissolving the acid crystals
in a small amount of water after weighing and before mixing into syrup
is recommended
|
Here is the complete Canadian oxalic label.
(relevant excerpt below).
SOLUTION METHOD
NOTE: To completely dissolve
oxalic acid dihydrate, use warm syrup. Dissolve 35 g of
oxalic acid dihydrate in 1 litre of syrup made from a 1:1
sugar : water (weight:volume) mixture of sugar and water.
Smoke bees down from the top bars. With a syringe or an
applicator, trickle 5 mL of this solution directly onto the
bees in each occupied bee space in each brood box. The
maximum dose is 50 mL per colony whether bees are in nucs,
single, or multiple brood chambers. Under certain
unfavourable conditions, e.g., weak colonies, unfavourable
overwintering conditions, this application method may cause
some bee mortality or overwintering bee loss. |
Other resources:
| An email rec'd Nov 29...
> I've been working
on reconciling various OA formulas and was using your site
(Nov 18-19 2009 diary) to
figure the weight of 1:1 syrup. So I had to figure out the
cause behind your statement: "Well the best-laid plans... I
mixed as above and came up with 1,600 mL, not the expected
amount,..." on Nov 19. The cause was your calculation
4x400=1800 behind your statements in the previous paragraph.
Thanks. You are right. That explains
it.
> I had been
concerned that you were not getting consistent syrup weights
from mixing weighed ingredients. The underlying physics
appears consistent, so I am comfortable now.
> Another surprise is that the Canadian label produces a
much weaker solution than what Randy Oliver is recommending
on his web site. Randy's 1:10:10 by weight looks to me to be
nearly twice the strength you used.
There tends to be confusion between
the acid concentration in water and the amount of
dihydrate required to achieve it. The dihydrate already
has two water molecules attached, so a considerably
greater weight of dihydrate is required than would be
the case if pure acid were used. I am not aware of
sources of the pure acid, and there is no need to use
pure acid if the fact that the dihydrate contains water
is taken into consideration in the mixing.
|
A Persistent
Confusion
(note: The info below was corrected Dec 1/09)
There tends to be a
persistent confusion confusion between the actual resulting acid
concentration in water and the amount of the dihydrate required to
achieve it. This confusion is likely due to the fact that the
process has been developed by people with some chemical training and
is practiced by people who may be less conversant with chemical
matters, or who have been out of school a long time.
From Wikipedia
Oxalic acid is
the chemical compound with the formula C2O2(OH)2 or HOOCCOOH.
This colourless solid is a relatively strong carboxylic acid,
being about 3,000 times stronger than acetic acid...
Typically oxalic acid is obtained as the dihydrate.
(emphasis added)
As can be seen in the
figure below, the dihydrate contains two molecules of water
and weighs much more than the actual oxalic acid it contains. The
calculations below simply add up the weights of the atoms in each
and show how much of the weight in 86 grams of the dihydrate
crystals we buy is actually acid (90 g) and how much is water (36g).
Molecular formula
C2H2O4 (anhydrous)
Molar mass 90.03 g/mol (anhydrous)
Molecular formula
C2H2O4·2H2O (dihydrate)
Molar mass 126.07 g/mol (dihydrate)
From the above, we can see
that to get the same 90 grams of oxalic acid, 126 grams of the dihydrate crystals must be used, compared to
90 g of the pure stuff
-- thus the confusion.
Since the amount of
acid used is very small compared to the water in the syrup, the
'water of hydration' may be ignored when calculating the water
in the total solution, but since the water in the crystals is
insignificant compared to the total water in the syrup, but
since it is almost half the weight of the crystals, it must be
considered in measuring the acid.
Still confused?
Some very intelligent people get mixed up by this problem. It is a
good thing that there is a label that spells it out in simple terms.
Follow the label and all should go well.
Be sure to
double-check, though. You can see the obvious addition error I
made. Fortunately, it was minor, and in mixing the syrup, but
it shows how checking and rechecking can pay off.
|
* *
* * * *
*
|
From a
BEE-L post Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2008
12:05:59 -0500
Sender: BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM
From: Lloyd Spear
Subject: Honey Prices
Irwin asked me to elaborate on how
Homeland Security practices are effectively prohibiting one-time
imports of honey from Canada. I'll be glad to, especially in the
hope that someone out there knows a way to make such an import.
As background, for more than 20 years
we have been able to drive to Canada, load up or truck, trailer, or
car with food and import it into the US *providing that the purchase
price is less than $2,000.* That $2,000 limit has not changed, but
at today's general price levels it does not provide for the
importation of very much honey.
If the value is over $2,000,
customs/import regulations come into effect and following 9/11 they
hae become very stringent. For many years, I drove my truck to
Canada and picked up products with a total value of close to $2,000.
So many, that Customs officials reconized me, which was a great
help. About three years ago, there was a time when I wished to
import product with a value of approximately $5,000. I knew about
the $2,000 restriction so set out to do whatever was necessary to
make my import.
I started with a local customs broker
who I use to import non-food products from Europe. Sure, they said,
we will handle it just let us know when you are ready. So, about a
month prior to my desired date I let them know, they arranged a
trucker pickup and referred everything to their normal border agent,
Federal Express, in northern New York. Then came the dreaded phone
call from my broker..."the border agent says they can't handle it,
and we have not been able to find anyone who will". (My broker
doesn't normally deal with food products.)
So, I got involved. I called Customs.
They said approximately "You should not have any problem. However,
before we can process the paperwork you need to register with the
Food and Drig Administration. Ok, I imagined a really big deal but
found that registration was easy provided that my NHB assessments
were fully paid. They were, and I was granted an FDA registration
number in about a week. I called Customs back. By the way, I was
working with a senior person at the Canadian border crossing at the
Thousands Islands. When I called back and told him I had my number,
he said approximately "just be sure your number is on all the
paperwork, and tell them if they have any questions they should call
me". So, I went back to my broker, who went back to the border
agent... Now, for the benefit of those who do not bring in
commercial goods from Canada, at each crossing there are border
agents who handle the paperwork to get the goods into the US. The
Thousands Island crossing is a large busy |
place handling a lot of material from
Ontario and Quebec. There are at least 50 border agents there, each
in their own set of trailers, and employing what must be several
hundred people. Regulations issued after 9/11 provide that the
paperwork for each import must be at the crossing a set number of
days before the actual import and must conform to regulations that
include provisions that the border agents 'know' the importer as
well as the exporter. So, when a tractor trailer carrying material
from 15 different exporters and designated to 10 importers (pick
your own numbers) arrives at the border, Customs knows exactly what
is on board and can choose to inspect all, any portion, or just wave
through. Mostly, the trailers are waved through.
The 'rub' comes from the requirements
that the border agents 'know' the exporter and importer. While they
do not have to actually meet you, shake your hand and look you in
the eye, they do have to do more than talk to you on the phone or
process your paperwork. In effect, they have to do enough work to
have some certainty that neither the exporter or importer is a
terroist. Presumably this involves checking at least some
references, listings in trade directories, etc. It takes time.
Now, the border agents are in
business to make money. With large importers/exporters they charge
fixed, negotiated fees. With smaller importers/exporters they charge
based on the value of the goods. The difficulty with someone
"unknown" trying to make a single (or two or three) imports a year
from exporters who are not 'known', is that the border agents are of
the view that they cannot possibly charge enough to recover their
costs and make a profit. I went so far as to tell more than one
agent "give me a number on what you'd have to charge to make the
import; maybe I'd agree to pay it". None would even do that.
So, back I went to the senior Customs
agent. "Any way I can import without using a border agent, perhaps
by renting a truck so I would not have to get combined with others?"
Answer*: No, we require that an approved Agent get the material
pre-cleared before importation*. Question "Do you know that none of
the Agents at the crossing will take on an unknown importer trying
to bring in material from an unknown exporter unless they agree to
make mutiple imports during the year?" Answer*: "No, I didn't know
that and I'm reasonably sure this has not been brought to our
attention. But I do know that there is extensive work involved so I
can understand that Agents might decline one-time imports from
unknown parties." * ** So, there it stands. I know of one comb honey
producer in SAS that has looked into exporting to the US and has
essentially 'given up' for the same reason. Thankfully, up until now
he has been able to sell everything produced to customers in Canada.
Long term he hopes to make arrangements with just one US importer
who will redistribute to others, but that will raise the cost and
may limit the market.
If anyone out there has been able to
make one-time imports of honey worth a value of over $2,000, I'd
like to know about it so I might be able to emulate the procedures
followed. |
* *
* * * *
*
Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
High -2C Low -15°C
Normals: Max: 1°C
Min: -10°C
Novembers past:
2005, 2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999
Honey Bee World Forum
There won't be much to read here
today, because I will be travelling, but there is lots to read in the articles
posted here over the past few weeks since I began writing again. Note that
I have rewritten some of the topics since the original posting.
Here are my BEE-L posts from
yesterday:
|
067361 |
Feeding Sucrose in
Winter |
|
067366 |
Re: A method of
converting the crystallised honey in frames |
|
067367 |
Re: Beebread: bee
pathogen reservoir |
|
067372 |
Who Said What? |
|
067375 |
Re: Honey Prices |
|
067388 |
Re: Honey Prices |
|
067389 |
Re: Beebread |
|
067392 |
Re: Chalkbrood vs
Terramycin |
|
067394 |
Re: Chalkbrood vs
Terramycin |
|
067397 |
Re: Chalkbrood vs
Terramycin |
|
067398 |
A Sustainable
Commercial Model? |
|
067413 |
Re: Chalkbrood vs
Terramycin |
|
067414 |
Re: A Sustainable
Commercial Model? |
|
067415 |
Re: Varroa in
ferals in Hawaii |
Well, here I am in Laguna Beach again. I
was up early, scraped the ice off the windshield, and drove to Airdrie.
Attie drove me to the airport, and a few hours later, Jon and Kalle picked me up
at LAX.
We went shopping for groceries, had bite, and
here I am.
|
