Watch "BIG NEWS! Oxalic Acid legalized for HONEY SUPERS!" on YouTube

Not sure I’ll be doing it but a huge turnaround.

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Sorry to hear that Randy Oliver has cancer. Very bad news for amateur bee scientists. I agree that vaporising with supers on is not earth-shattering, but it gives me even more confidence that cellulose sponges with supers on is perfectly acceptable too, given the likely rate of release from the sponge vs the vapor.

Thanks for posting this @HappyHibee

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/LSOxalicAcidApril2019FinalRec.pdf

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OK, so that is clear as mud then… A naturally-occurring organic compound has been classified as synthetic, and yet approved for use by the Organic regulators? :thinking:

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I understand the “synthetic” because the submission was for OA that was manufactured and not OA that was extracted from a natural source.

What I am unclear on is whether organic classification requires that the pesticide be synthetic or extracted… I am guessing that even synthetic compounds, if naturally derived, can be used in organic farming… Probably with exceptions…

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https://beeinformed.org/2021/03/10/what-does-the-new-ruling-on-oxalic-acid-in-honey-mean/?fbclid=IwAR2BSDqTpZYMi3Sp4rmKvfuFlzWPZOrE23SdfmOdr-7aEnh8aN05m3uRi2s

Does this make things more or less clear??

Nice article, but some of it is misleading. The take-away is that OA is not yet approved for use with supers on. Randy Oliver is working with the EPA on amending that, but we are not there yet.

This statement is outright wrong when applied to Oxalic Acid:

“Using only multiple applications of a single pesticide like oxalic acid over and over is how pests develop resistance”

There is a very well-respected bee researcher in Argentina (who collaborates with Randy Oliver). He has been studying long term Oxalic Acid use as the only agent for mite control in hives for over 15 years. He has found absolutely no evidence of resistance. I think the reason is that OA is a physical toxin to the mites, not a pharmacological chemical like Apivar etc. More like diatomaceous earth - it would be highly unlikely that a form of resistance could be developed. Just my 2 cents. :blush:

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