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Why Treat Varroa Mites With Oxalic Acid Vapor?

Why Treat Varroa Mites With Oxalic Acid Vapor?

Varroa Mite are now the most common problem that beekeepers in the United States face. Varroa Mites as well as CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) been responsible for the death and decline of as many as 44% of honeybee across the USA. It’s important to treat your honeybees for varroa mites. Not treating in some way or another can jeopardize the health of your entire apiary. One of the treatments recently approved by the FDA is the use of oxalic acid vaporization.

This method is very effective in controlling the mite population in a beehive. The oxalic acid vaporizer used in the video below is the high quality Varrox Oxalic Acid Vaporizer.

What Is The Varroa Mite?

(Varroa Destructor) Varroa mites are external, obligate parasites of worker and drone honey bees. Varroa mites are visible to the naked eye and look somewhat like a tick. They feed on the hemolymph of adult bees and the developing brood.

The reproduction cycle of the mite takes place inside the cells.

Female mites (foundresses) enter the brood cells of last stage worker or drone larvae just prior to the cells being capped. There she will deposit five to six eggs over a period of time while feeding on the brood. The first egg laid will be unfertilized and develop into a male. The subsequent eggs will be fertilized and develop into females. The eggs hatch and the young mites begin to feed on the developing pupa. It is normal for mating to occur between siblings. The adult female mites along with the original female mite(s) leave the cell when the bee emerges. The female mites will enter another cell or attach themselves to an adult bee to feed.Varroa mites are transported from colony to colony by drifting or robbing bees.

Many people want to know the best way to vaporize a hive and when.

The following video is a good guide: You may also find more informative information about the “pros and cons” of vaporization here:

Randy Oliver from Scientific Beekeeping also discusses Oxalic Treatment in more detail here.

You can also find more information as well as a video on how to manage varroa here.