For this post I’m going to focus on what we’ve tried for our beekeeping operation in treating for mites, and the pros and cons of each.
Oxalic Acid Vapor: This is #1 because it has been effective, consistent, and overall inexpensive. There aren’t many cons: Vaporization tools can be expensive up front cost but the acid is cheap, and secondly, wearing an organic acid classified mask is an absolute must while treating. Pros: Like mentioned above, it works well and quickly pays for itself, especially in a larger operation. (40+ hives) Operated with your choice of battery (you select upon ordering), it is quiet and quick, about 1 minute per colony. Thirdly, oxalic acid works out to about 8-10 cents per full treatment (3x) per hive.
Oxalic acid vapor must be used 3 times, 5-6 days apart each time. This is because the vapor only kills phoretic mites, which just means the ones that are above the caps. Under the caps, where they want to be, attaching themselves to developing bees, the vapor cannot harm them. Therefore, with 3 treatments, you encompass one whole brood cycle.
We use the InstantVap tool from Dancing Bee Equipment and have been thoroughly impressed. It delivers the vapor evenly, consistently, and also an easy and thorough way to clean the unit after using.
https://www.uline.ca/BL_1715/North-5500-Half-Face-Respirators?keywords=dust+masks+and+respirators
2. Formic Acid: this can be a really good option for those who prefer not to use miticides but don’t want to invest in an oxalic acid vaporizer tool just yet. It works by releasing the acid over a period of time.
Application requires no supers to be on during treatment, and wearing gloves is advised. Two strips impregnated with the acid are laid on top of the frames for a period of either 14 or 20 days depending on the option you choose.
We found it wasn’t as successful as oxalic acid vapor and have therefore stuck with the OAV, however, here’s the website for further research!
The third treatment we’ve done is Apivar miticide. We treated with Apivar in our first year of beekeeping (2017-2018) because we didn’t have OAV equipment and we needed something that was going to absolutely work for sure–to not lose our bees. It worked, all right! Our viewpoint on Apivar is that it is not preferable for our operation because we aim to keep our bees and live as organically as possible, when possible.
Note: links are products we’ve bought and used, and some we continue to use and appreciate. We don’t earn anything if you choose to buy them too.