Do I need to paint my hives?

[Shepherdess219]

Best advice I can give you is to treat the bees with oxalic acid drench before they have capped brood. It will increase the chance of them overwintering.

The bee master in my area, who has been raising bees and researching for 30 years recommends using formic acid. Here’s one article on oxalis Acid. The one time I had a friend use the oxalis acid smoke my queen died. Here’s an article he sent to read. just a thought to research first.

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/8/3/...O2IQtgJBYFvS_L1BgrGGeItwIIOTs8fPYjKoGZHs6qaw#

 

[CLSranch]

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/8/3/...O2IQtgJBYFvS_L1BgrGGeItwIIOTs8fPYjKoGZHs6qaw#

Interesting.

 

[Field Bee]

The bee master in my area, who has been raising bees and researching for 30 years recommends using formic acid. Here’s one article on oxalis Acid. The one time I had a friend use the oxalis acid smoke my queen died. Here’s an article he sent to read. just a thought to research first.

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/8/3/...O2IQtgJBYFvS_L1BgrGGeItwIIOTs8fPYjKoGZHs6qaw#

From the research you posted:
"After oral application, bee mortality occurred at relatively low concentrations"

You will be only using OA drench/dribble on the packaged bees. They are short lived any way and the OA will not effect the new emerging bees. It will only help them because they will not have (or less likely to have) foundress mites entering the brood. Treat them with an OA dribble BEFORE they have capped brood. It gives them a clean start and increases your chances of overwintering. OAV is different process. Don't use MAQS (formic) on a package.

 

[Legamin]

I have some supers and hive bodies that I never got around to painting and they are holding up just as well as the painted ones. It seems that its kind of hit or miss when it comes to lumber that was used. Some of my hive bodies rotted out in about 8 to 10 years at the finger joints and most look good whether they are painted or not.

Best advice I can give you is to treat the bees with oxalic acid drench before they have capped brood. It will increase the chance of them overwintering.

When you say “treat the bees with Oxolic Acid Drench” what exactly are you saying to do? i know Oxalic Acid as a wood worker and have heard other beekeepers refer to it but am not sure what exactly to do, how to mix, and how it interacts with their systems/digestives etc. that helps them. Could you spell this one out to the newbies looking on at your experience with obvious and slack jawed awe? We really do want to do what is best for the bees!

 

[Field Bee]

When you say “treat the bees with Oxolic Acid Drench” what exactly are you saying to do? i know Oxalic Acid as a wood worker and have heard other beekeepers refer to it but am not sure what exactly to do, how to mix, and how it interacts with their systems/digestives etc. that helps them. Could you spell this one out to the newbies looking on at your experience with obvious and slack jawed awe? We really do want to do what is best for the bees!

When a colony is broodless (no baby bees under cappings) varroa mites are vulnerable to an oxalic acid treatment because all of the mites are on the bees. The most effective time to treat is after installing a package, hiving a swarm, or after a parent colony swarmed and the new queen has not yet started laying eggs causing a brood break. I always recommend AO dribble treatment to beginners because everyone can get a 60ml syringe, sugar, and oxalic acid. I use Florida Labs OA. Api-Bioxal is the EPA approved product. OA has been approved for use with honey supers on.

Videos and info on OA:

Use of Oxalic Acid on Honey Bees

nybeewellness.org

How to mix OA:

How to Use the Oxalic Acid Dribble Method

This method uses oxalic acid mixed with ordinary sugar syrup and is applied using a large syringe to squirt the mixture on to the bees clustered between the frames. The syrup is spread around among the bees as they clean themselves up. This grooming brings the oxalic acid into contact with the...

www.betterbee.com