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Formic Acid and HBH Pads For Varroa Mite Control
Formic Acid and HBH Pads For Varroa Mite Control
Fumigation
Jim Amrine, Bob Noel, 10 Nov 2007
water
found. Oct11
Oct12
16
0
33
23
49
23
67.35
100.00
100
100
36
17
Oct13 1 11 12 91.67 100 10
Oct14 0 51 51 100.00 100 14
Oct15 0 32 32 100.00 100 9
Oct16 2 53 55 96.36 100 24
Oct17 0 43 43 100.00 100 29
Oct18 0 61 61 100.00 100 28
Oct19 0 47 47 100.00 100 12
Oct20 1 52 53 98.11 100 26
Jan01 0 5 5 100.00 100 2
Jan02 0 0 0 100 0
Jan03 0 2 2 100.00 100 2
Jan4 1 3 4 75.00 100 2
Jan5 15 34 49 69.39 100 26
Jan6 0 4 4 100.00 100 2
Jan7 0 8 8 100.00 100 4
Jan8 0 3 3 100.00 100 3
Jan9 0 1 1 100.00 100 1
Jan10 0 13 13 100.00 100 7
Jan11 1 2 3 66.67 100 3
Jan12 0 18 18 100.00 100 8
Jan13 0 2 2 100.00 100 2
Jan14 0 5 5 100.00 100 3
Jan15 0 5 5 100.00 100 5
Jan16 9 21 30 70.00 100 9
Jan17 0 0 0 100 0
Jan18 0 4 4 100.00 100 1
Jan19 0 28 28 100.00 100 13
Jan20 1 22 23 95.65 100 11
Total mite 122 1626 1748 93.02 14.40
91.52
2007 Paper Pad Treatments
Cumberland, MD; Ft. Pierce, FL
Robert C. Noel, J. Amrine, D. Webb
15 ml HBH
90 ml
50% FA
Plastic wrap o
ver brood
Ft. Pierce, FL: 16Apr07. Entrance reduced with paper and duct tape; the
entrance should be in the center, not on the right side as in this photo
We use five to seven ‘Gummy Candies’ placed on brood frames to hold
and adjust the paper pad above the brood frames. Candies compress.
Bees will remove pad, towel, candy and freezer paper.
85ml of 50% Formic Acid in a graduated measuring glass.
(specific gravity = 1.110)
We used: - 85ml 50% formic used for two full depth brood boxes.
- 75ml 50% formic used for 1 1/2 depth brood boxes.
- 60ml 50% formic used for one full depth brood box
Note: These are our refined experimental doses only; they are lower
than our first trials.
85 ml
50% formic acid
15 ml
Honey-B-Healthy
15ml of HBH added to a paper towel and placed on the top bars near the 85ml
50% formic on double brood chambers, which helps to prevent queen loss.
Sides w
3/8"
beeways
Freezer paper - 13.5" x 21" [34.3cm x 53.3cm] - with waxed side down, with duct
tape in front and back to keep it in place. Leave 3/8" beeways on each side.
Waxed paper can be used instead.
Treated Colony. Note the entrance reduced to 3/8" x 3.5“ [.95cm x 8.9cm ] at the
center. The chamber with most brood was placed under the treated pad. Paper and
duct tape can be used to reduce the front entrance to 1.75” x .75” [4.4cm x 1.9cm].
Dry pad - removed 18 hours later. No odor of formic acid (Aug. 18).
FL, 16Apr07, 4:41:14 pm, colony P6: RH = 71.9%, T = 96.0° F. Bees fan vigorously,
increasing the temperature to about 97 F. FA vapor exits the reduced entrance;
about 55 mins after treatment; this was 2nd highest T recorded (97.3° F was max).
Dead varroa mites at
the entrance, under the
reducer. A piece of
paper can be cut to be
an entrance with a 3/4 x
1.5” opening; the bees
can then remove it.
On 18 August, 25 capped drone cells were found with varroa and 24 had
dead mites with one cell having 2 live varroa. All drone cells opened in
this hive were made in older dark comb. It was surprising to find this
many dead varroa in the thicker drone cells which have thicker cappings.
A handful of dead
emerging workers
below the entrance is
the sign of a good
treatment. If it kills a few
of them, it will kill 93%
of the varroa mites.
Why does 50% FA kill mites and young workers and
some brood, but not the rest of the bees?
Delivery: “We can ship 2-3 weeks after receipt of purchase order.”
Terms: Net 30 Days pending credit approval.
This quotation is firm until December 13, 2007.
Estimated cost of 50% formic acid treatment: $1.00 to
$1.32 per hive
Diluted to 50% formic acid with tap water: $12.91/1.8 = $7.12 per gallon.
64 ozs per gallon; 3 ozs per hive = 21.3 hives per gallon of 50% formic acid.
$7.12/21.3 = $0.35 per hive
Cost of freezer paper (1100’ by 15”): $42 on the web for one roll.
($42/1100)x2’/hive
Cost per hive = $.35 + $.48 + $.39 + papers (freezer & entrance = $.10) = $1.32
Or: $0.03 + $.48 + $.39 + papers (freezer & entrance = $.10) = about $1.00/hive
Special thanks to Jerry, Mary and Gary Turner, JJ and Jacob Tilton, John
Gentzel, Dimitry Albertese, Alberto Santini, Malcolm Brinson, Mark
Altmeter, Mike Potoczak, Daniel Amrine, David Amrine, Tony Delia, Art
Sternheimer, Steve Saffle, Gary Ranker and others. Without their help,
this work could not have been done. Dr. Yong-Lak Park, West Virginia
University, assisted with the statistical analyses.
References:
Amrine J. W. Jr., Noel, R., Webb, D. 2007. Results of 50% formic acid fumgation of
honey bee hives [Apis mellifera ligustica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to control varroa
mites (Acari: Varroidae) in brood combs in Florida, U. S. A. Internat. J. Acarology
33(2): 99-109.
Amrine J. W. Jr., Noel, R. 2006. Formic acid fumigator for controlling varroa mites
in honey bee hives. Internat. J. Acarology 32(2): 115-124.
Contact Information:
Jim Amrine, Professor of Entomology, Division of Plant/Soil
Sciences
G-168 Agricultural Sciences Building, Evansdale Drive, P.O. Box
6108, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108.
Telephone: 304.293.6023, x4307[office], x4309 [lab]
Fax: 304.293.2960, E-Mail: jamrine@wvu.edu
Web site: http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/varroa06.htm
Bob Noel, Beekeeper, 108 Blackiston Ave.
Cumberland, MD 21502.
Telephone 301.724.3529
E-Mail: rcnoel@atlanticbb.net
http://rnoel.50megs.com/2000/index.htm