That’s got me excited…was the towel you used yellow in color or the white ones. Just going by color isn’t the whole story but the fabric makeup is an important part for me…at Home Hardware stores here.
1 Like
There are yellow, blue, purple and green ones in the package I have from amazon. Your yellow sponges look the same, if I remember to I’ll snap a pic of the remaining ones tomorrow!
2 Likes
Based on Randy Oliver’s exact description (Amazon: “Sponge Cloth, Swedish Dishcloth, Cellulose, Reusable, 10-sponges in Pack.”), I got these:
1 Like
Given that I only need to make 2 sponges worth (about 80ml of liquid), I am going to make the solution in a small mason jar. I will float it in a sous vide bath, perhaps at 50°C to dissolve the Oxalic Acid in the glycerine. That should control the dissolving temperature nicely.
I am interested in your sponges, @Eva. They are 30% cotton, whereas mine are 10% cotton. Amazon does have some others that are 30% cotton too - it will be interesting to compare them at some point, and see if the bees can tear one type up more than the other.
I love this community, so many adventurous and well-informed beekeepers. Thank you all for being here.
2 Likes
I wonder what this towel of Randy’s is composed of…bees haven’t touched it…but still doing it’s job of extended OA release.
For those beekeepers that want to know the whole story of Randy Oliver’s varroa control work, here’s his latest release:
2 Likes
HI. I’m in NY current temp ranges; highs 60-70. low 38 to 55 fahrenheit Do you think the celulose sponges would be to cold/moist to use at this time.?
1 Like
I am not expert, but I know that is something that Randy has worried about in the past. If you haven’t treated already, I would go with Apivar strips at this point. I know that @Eva has a similar climate to yours, but she has had them inside the hives for quite some time, and Randy suggests that you need at least 40 days to be effective. In less than 40 days’ time, your bees will probably be clustered, and not walking over the sponge, so not getting treated. 
If you really want to stay organic, you could consider an Oxalic Acid dribble in mid to late November, once you are sure that the bees are clustered.
2 Likes
I don’t think they’d be cold, since you let them dry completely before putting them in the hive. They could pick up ambient moisture from internal hive humidity, which bees control. Theoretically there might be almost enough time for the OA to get distributed throughout the hive before they stay clustered, but Dawn’s suggestion to use Apivar is apt 
if it’s the first time you’ll be treating for mites this season. It’s more of a rapid result.
3 Likes
Eva and Dawn. thanks so much for the quick responses. I will be doing a mite check tomorrow. So far this year there has been under threshold checks but I admit it’s been quite a while since the last check. I think I will make the sponges and be ready for treating with them. I also have oxalic acid vap. available.
I only have two hives. One was started as a nuc this spring and has done well as far as population but our extended dry summer forced them to use quite a bit of their stores. I did not take any honey from them. The other was a successful overwinter of a 4 over 4 nuc which did very well. Too well in fact, as before I was ready they swarmed twice so they also need all the resources they have and I am actually feeding them 2:1 now. Wish me luck. I still consider myself a first year beek.
I love using oxalic acid vapor for doing mite counts. It is very easy with the flow hive. I vaporize from below the screened bottom board, then put a very clean slider in the lower slot for exactly 24 hours. After that time, I take a photo of the board and count the mites on it. If there are more than 25 mites on the board, I know that I need to treat again. No need to sugar roll, and the counts are reliable. This method is known as an “accelerated mite drop count” and has been used for years in the UK. It isn’t well-known in the US yet, but it is just as accurate as the sugar roll method. 
1 Like
Since you have a vape wand I’d go straight for that - you’ll see fast results and the have greater certainty of the treatment reaching the most population before cold sets in.
1 Like
So your thinking a preemptive treatment with OA vap. and just do a count the next day and repeat if above 25 mites, right? I have a flow hive 2 so I’m thinking I could use the IPM tray in the upside down position for the count. My other hive is a lang. with SBB and corrugated slider but it is on a solid stand therefore I can’t get under it, so maybe I can administer the vap. where the slider fits in and then replace the slider. what do you think?
addend: Should I leave the entrances open? They are reduced by screening so totally open to ventilation.
Exactly right. The repeat would be 5 days after the one you just did.
I have a piece of aluminum roofing flashing from Home Depot. It comes on a roll and is 20" wide. You can cut it to size with tin snips (or very tough scissors) and fold in half to fit in the slots in the flow hive bottom board. Once doubled (folded in half) it will support the weight of the OAV wand and keep the vapor in the hive, if you close up the gap at the back with some tea towels or wash cloths. Works really well.
While you are vaping, everything needs to be closed. Even the entrance. I use tea towels (the flat linen type, not the looped toweling type). It is best done in the late afternoon/early evening, so that you get as many foragers as possible. That means you need to be suited up for it, as you may not be a welcome visitor… 
1 Like
…what Dawn said, and I find that dampening those tea towels helps them stay put better.
1 Like
Thanks so much I will do the vape and count I just inspected last 7 days ago I was afraid of queenlessness since there was no brood to speak of. My mentor came to check with me today and we found the queen in each hive so now I can treat and sleep too. He pointed out one queen but the next hive I actually spotted her First time for that 
3 Likes
my belated condolences Dawn. I’m sorry for your loss. I too have been caregiving to my 91 year old Mom with dementia and it has kept me from the forum and a host of activities.
2 Likes
Is it supposed to remain wet or dry after setting this in the hive?
Hi Martha…the glycerine base that the oxalic acid is dissolved in ensures that the impregnated sponge/towel initially is wet. The bees eventually track it around the hive and so in time it looses it’s “wetness”…and eventually the bees will chew away at sponge/towel…also distributing the OA. Eventually the sponge/towel disappears…shreds of fiber left on the bottom board.
4 Likes