Treatments For Varroa
First published in: American Bee Journal, November 2018
Extended-Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report #4 2018 California Field Trial Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Published in ABJ in November 2018 I’ve handed my beekeeping operation, still headquartered at my home, over to my sons Eric and Ian, with the provision that I have the hives at my disposal for research during my “retirement.” This season I […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, January 2018
Extended-Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report #3 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ January 2018 As the synthetic miticides predictably lose their effectiveness across the world, beekeepers are turning more and more toward oxalic acid to control varroa. Unfortunately, oxalic is not a very efficacious treatment when there is brood present. To that end I […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, October 2017
Extended-release Oxalic Acid Progress Report #2 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ October 2017 There has been a huge amount of interest in the extended-release application of oxalic acid for controlling varroa. I and my collaborators have been working hard to collect the data necessary get this treatment approved for use by […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, July 2017
Extended-Release Oxalic Acid Progress Report Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ July 2017 In January I wrote about an exciting extended-release application method for oxalic acid [[1]]. I’m currently collaborating with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the EPA to get this application method added to the current label for oxalic acid. […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, June 2016
A Test of Late-Summer Varroa Treatments Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ June 2016 Last summer, deep in extended drought, we California beekeepers struggled with varroa. And I realized that I had long been using (and recommending) a mite treatment application based upon hearsay rather than actual data—shame on me! By trial and error, […]
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Updated 15 January 2016 Updated oxalic acid ppt presentation Since the EPA registered oxalic acid for the use in beehives (as far as I know, Brushy Mountain has the only registered product to date), I’ve been flooded with questions about using it (since I’ve used it steadily in my operation for over a decade). Therefore, […]
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Update 28 Oct 2018 Beekeeper Nick Kingan let me know that there’s a nice livestock syringe available from Tractor Supply that can be adjusted to dispense 5 mL per squeeze. I find the squeezing of this sort of syringe to be tiring to my hand if I’m treating a large number of hives, but […]
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First published in: American Bee Journal, April 2013
Simple Early Treatment of Nucs Against Varroa Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First published in ABJ April 2013 Starting the season with a low level of varroa allows a colony to get a jump on the mite and its associated viruses. I tested a simple method for incorporating varroa management into nuc production. Introduction When I try […]
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Table updated Dec 20, 2023. You can print this table directly from this page. It is critical to mix and apply oxalic dribble correctly (5 mL between each frame of bees), or you risk seriously harming your bees! Be sure to read: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-questions-answers-and-more-questions-part-1-of-2-parts/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/the-learning-curve-part-3-the-natural-miticides/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-dribble-tips/ https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-powerpoint-presentation/ Update Dec 20, 2023: We’ve experimented with using glycerin […]
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An Early Summer Test of Mite-Away Quick StripsTM First published in ABJ September 2011 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com In the February issue of this Journal, I wrote about a fall trial that I performed with the new formic acid delivery method—Mite-Away Quick Strips (MAQSTM). I had been impressed by their efficacy and ease of use. Imagine […]
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IPM 6 Fighting Varroa The Arsenal: Our Choice of Chemical Weapons Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in June 2007 I’m clearly in the “minimal chemical” camp, yet all my commercial buddies, without exception, depend upon “off label” use of agricultural miticides to keep their colonies alive. These are top-notch beekeepers, and I […]
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IPM 7 Fighting Varroa The Arsenal: “Natural” Treatments – Part 2 © Randy Oliver 2007 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in September 2007 (Tenth in a Series on Integrated Pest Management of Varroa) Let me tell you, researching and writing this series has been an education for me! Several of my preconceived notions have […]
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IPM 7 Fighting Varroa 7 The Arsenal: “Natural” Treatments Part 1 Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in August 2007 (Ninth in a series on integrated pest management of Varroa) Disclaimer: I am not licensed to make any pesticide recommendation. I am merely reporting on information from appropriate authorities. You should consult your local authority […]
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Oxalic Acid: Part 2 Heat Vaporization and Other Methods Randy Oliver ScientificBeekeeping.com Originally published ABJ Jan 2007 Update December 2016: I suggest that you view my oxalic acid Powerpoint presentation, which I will try to keep up to date–https://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-powerpoint-presentation/ In my article last month, I detailed the use of the oxalic acid sugar syrup “dribble” […]
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Oxalic Acid: Part 1 (of 2) Questions, Answers, and More Questions Why Oxalic Acid? ©Randy Oliver 2006 ScientificBeekeeping.com First Published in ABJ in December 2006 European beekeepers, who have dealt with varroa much longer than we have, and who often face regulations that do not look favorably upon chemicals that may contaminate honey, noted that […]
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