Gib Board tape for Oxalic acid/glycerine varroa treatments- buyer beware, not all brands are equal.

[Dansar]

Hi all

Bit of info passed on from Phil. Regarding the type of plasterboard paper joint tape you might be using for diy treatments.

“ Hi Dan
It's very important that the forum beekeepers are made aware that the only plasterboard tape suitable for use with oxalic acid and Glycerine is that which is imported from the USA.
Even product lables cannot be relied upon.
If a roll of tape is purchased from a retailer it must be tested in a Saucer if solution before use.
It's unlikely that many retailers will have much American product left.
New product us largely from Asia and is a totally different material.
Buyer beware.

It's a covid related supply issue.
Probably temporary but the Asin stuff is likely here to stay.
This means that testing for soakability will he an ongoing exercise.
The issue is that Asian tape is not able to absorb oa gl at all.”

 

[yesbut]

FWIW I soak toilet roll cores in water, unravel them, dry them, and soak in oa. Works for my 2 hive operation.

 

[Mummzie]

Thanks for posting @Dansar

but we test it in a saucer of water............what should we see, or what shouldn't we see?

FWIW- currently testing the ready cut cardboard strips.

 

[tristan]

any thoughts on a material that can hold more oa/gl ?
the current cardboard etc doesn't really hold enough for my liking.

 

[Mummzie]

I think Randy Oliver is experimenting with Sweedish sponge.....

 

[Dansar]

Thanks for posting @Dansar

but we test it in a saucer of water............what should we see, or what shouldn't we see?

FWIW- currently testing the ready cut cardboard strips.

Testing with water will only show it absorbs water. You will need to rest with Oxalic acid/glycerine made to strength to determine the correct amount is absorbed.

 

[Dansar]

any thoughts on a material that can hold more oa/gl ?
the current cardboard etc doesn't really hold enough for my liking.

I have some bamboo fibre kitchen towels to experiment with.

 

[tristan]

I think Randy Oliver is experimenting with Sweedish sponge.....

yes, they are available here at $$$$$$.

I have some bamboo fibre kitchen towels to experiment with.

thx for the suggestion i'll have to look that up.

at the moment i've found an organic version of the "maximizer" strips he was trying. again $$$.
also some of the medical pads look a possibility.

 

[tristan]

I have some bamboo fibre kitchen towels to experiment with.

just had a quick look and on the surface that looks like a possible option. absorbency looks like it might do the job and the price for the size is ok. well worth testing.

 

[Josh]

I think Randy Oliver is experimenting with Sweedish sponge.....

I’m going to follow Oliver’s recipe this summer as a “boost” between treatments. Got my towels online, one box will last about 10 years!

 

[Rob McInnes]

Thanks for posting @Dansar

but we test it in a saucer of water............what should we see, or what shouldn't we see?

FWIW- currently testing the ready cut cardboard strips.

Thanks for posting @Dansar

but we test it in a saucer of water............what should we see, or what shouldn't we see?

FWIW- currently testing the ready cut cardboard strips.

I feel the biggest issue with the pre-made cardboard strips is - because of the layers in them the glue used is unknown. It "could be" a toxic mix when added to OA.

 

[Rob McInnes]

any thoughts on a material that can hold more oa/gl ?
the current cardboard etc doesn't really hold enough for my liking.

A really great question. And on the back of it. What medium allows controlled release and at what rate.

 

[Josh]

A really great question. And on the back of it. What medium allows controlled release and at what rate.

The Randy Oliver information is well worth a read. It implies that there are two factors. 1.
How much OA per hive 2. Surface area required to deliver this effectively.

The interesting part was his research suggests the sponges between the boxes need ½ the surface area compared to the strips hung between the frames.

 

[tristan]

A really great question. And on the back of it. What medium allows controlled release and at what rate.

The Randy Oliver information is well worth a read. It implies that there are two factors. 1.
How much OA per hive 2. Surface area required to deliver this effectively.

The interesting part was his research suggests the sponges between the boxes need ½ the surface area compared to the strips hung between the frames.

yes it seams to be a complicated mess of factors.

the big question is can laying pads on top of the frames work with single brood box hives.
i really hope so because thats a lot cheaper and easier to do. putting the staples in is a pain and staples requires more strips than. plus i think randy's mix of 1:1 is a bit safer. its a bit slower but safer for the bees.
hopefully i will get to do some trails later in the season.

@Dansar the Swedish sponge and bamboo towels have turned up so might get to look at that in a few weeks.

 

[Josh]

The single box is mentioned in the Oliver stuff. And he too wonders about singles and nucs. I think that’s a work in progress for him. But in the meantime strips work with enough surface area.

 

[tristan]

The single box is mentioned in the Oliver stuff. And he too wonders about singles and nucs. I think that’s a work in progress for him. But in the meantime strips work with enough surface area.

yes they do work. however they are slow to put in which becomes important when you start doing 1000's. something Randy Oliver also mentions.
the other factor is safety in handling acid, especially a lot of it. simpler it is the less mistakes will happen.