Vaporizer Repair

[Jacobs]

I have been mentoring a first year beekeeper this season (masks & social distancing) and she requested a "Mite Patrol" visit for OAV demonstrations/treatments for her hives. I told her it would have to wait until I figured out how to repair this--

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The vaporizer had been working once I pushed the shaft into the bowl, but it got to the point where it was too loose to risk putting in a hive. She said that if I cleaned it up, her friend could take a look at it and see what he could do. I did clean it and saw where basic crimping is what held the shaft to the bowl. The "hero" of this tale was fairly confident he could make the repair by braising, or crimping, or by set screws. He went with set screws--what he had on hand.

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The repair worked like a charm and the vaporizer hopefully did in a large percentage of the mites that were treated.

I am constantly amazed at the talents various beekeepers, their families, and friends demonstrate, and their willingness to offer a hand to those of us beekeepers not possessing the skills or talents necessary to accomplish some beekeeping task.

[Linda]

So, this Saturday; weather seems to permit, OK to do Oav? Do the bees need to be out of cluster for the treatment

[Jacobs]

According to the Dadant q&a sheet, you want temperatures at or above 39F when you vaporize and for a few hours after. It takes this amount of warmth for the vapors to disperse properly. Since OAV does not kill mites under cappings, this is the ideal time of year to use it as brood levels are probably at their lowest for the season. You also want to do an OAV when as many foragers as possible are still in the hive. This will get you as high as possible a mite kill. Once I have my 39+F, I worry more about getting foragers treated than about the cluster. In warmer temperatures, vaporizing might be better done closer to dusk/dark when the bulk of foragers will be back in the hive.

(I have never used the OA dribble method, but I think to do it well--dribbling OA/sugar water mix on the bees--you would need to have them clustered.)

[Linda]

Thank you. Did not consider foragers . plenty of opportunity at 39degrees . I guess I was thinking of temp for checking in hive. Was planning on putting in sugar bricks at same time.
So miss getting together .