When & How Placing Oxalic Acid Strips
How Placing
Oxalic Acid Strips
The oxalic acid sugar solution typically is applied by trickling it between the bee space of the
frames. During the past years beekeeping associations suggested this acaricide to be administrated with cellulose strips soaked in a solution of oxalic acid and water.
In field
trials carried out during the spring and autumn, we tested the effectiveness of this method.
When Placing
Oxalic Acid Strips
This treatment can be applied all seasons of the year (and in the presence of brood) subject to Winter. The reason is that this formulation works by the contact of the bee on the tape, when the ambient temperature is very low the bees gather close together making a sphere in which they move lazily, so we do not have many contacts of different bees with the strips, reducing possibly their effectiveness against varroa. It is also good to avoid the use of films in intense heat in summer.
How Placing Strips
As a reference, the amount of films in the beehive is proportional to its size, it is about 1 film folded per 2.5 frames of population, for example in the 10-beehive will be 4 films, while in a 5-beehive 2 films. On the two floors, there are 4 films in the brood nest and 2-3 on the upper floor, even if it is 20 amps you do not need more than 7 films in total.
As for the position we put them should always be inside or as close as possible to the brood, the reason is that in the brood nest is always the highest concentration of varroa.
Although the classic placement is right in the center of the brood for maximum contact, to prevent the acid from creating an empty zone between the brood, which oſten happens, you can with the same efficiency put them about 6-8 cm from the broom. center of the offspring leſt or right, but never out of the offspring.
