Hey ya’ll. I am going to be picking up a package of bees on the 23rd and since reading all winter about varroa and having lost my hive to those awful creatures I invested in a oxalic acid vaporizer. I found some information about treating packages with oxalic acid solution prior to installing their bees and only one thread on a person that vapes them under a cardboard box before installing them. I was curious as to if anyone here does either of those before installing? Thanks in advance and can’t wait to get back in the swing of things here.
I haven’t done either, but when installing a package, I would be wary about interfering with they pheromones by vaporizing. An OA trickle before shipping might be fine, but again I wouldn’t do it once they are on site. Package do sometimes abscond, and I wouldn’t want to increase the chances.
What I might do is install them and wait for a week or two. Once they have some comb drawn, and uncapped brood, they have invested resources and would be less likely to abscond. I would consider vaping them at that point.
I am re-queening and setting up a split next week. I think the hive will probably need vaping too, but I am going to let the new queen settle in and start laying before I mess her around with OA vapor.
Thanks Dawn. I have read that alot too, install then treat in a few days.
I guess that is the direction I will go.