Mistakes were made people got hurt.

[swampcat]

First of all Thanks BK I never considered the queen would be treated with Oxalic Acid so many times.. but thats sure something to think about considering using it..

So I went to my friends place to treat their hives with the oxalic acid vaporizer.. first of all they wanted to pull their golf cart up and use the battery in it.. That put me in between the bees and a golf cart.. as some of ya'll probably know timing of pulling the entrance reducer, pushing the probe in and blocking off the entrance/exit is critical..
bees swarmed out of the hive, timing was off, I had both hands full of stinging bees.. silly me pulled my sleeves down over my hands.. big mistake now I had bees inside the jacket and soon in my veil.. inside the hive the treatment seemed to work with a gentle smoke slowly coming out the top and a little behind the hive.. so I believe that worked well.. I have no idea how many times I was stung hands still have a itch today and the swelling seems to be going down on my forehead neck and hands.. we stayed for coffee and conversation about an hour then left for home on the way home I killed the last bee in my shirt and placed it proudly on the dash of the car for the wife to see..

Yeah still thinking about thirty hives, I know I've been called crazy before among other things.. SC

[bk]

Sept 19, 2017 14:11:37 GMT -5 swampcat said:

First of all Thanks BK I never considered the queen would be treated with Oxalic Acid so many times.. but thats sure something to think about considering using it..

So I went to my friends place to treat their hives with the oxalic acid vaporizer.. first of all they wanted to pull their golf cart up and use the battery in it.. That put me in between the bees and a golf cart.. as some of ya'll probably know timing of pulling the entrance reducer, pushing the probe in and blocking off the entrance/exit is critical..
bees swarmed out of the hive, timing was off, I had both hands full of stinging bees.. silly me pulled my sleeves down over my hands.. big mistake now I had bees inside the jacket and soon in my veil.. inside the hive the treatment seemed to work with a gentle smoke slowly coming out the top and a little behind the hive.. so I believe that worked well.. I have no idea how many times I was stung hands still have a itch today and the swelling seems to be going down on my forehead neck and hands.. we stayed for coffee and conversation about an hour then left for home on the way home I killed the last bee in my shirt and placed it proudly on the dash of the car for the wife to see..

Yeah still thinking about thirty hives, I know I've been called crazy before among other things.. SC

Such a great description I don't even want a video of your adventure, Swampcat. 

And so the school of hard knocks (or stings) teaches another lesson.  

Thirty will keep you buzzing, for sure.  Think hard.  It is doable, but something I'd work up to if I was in your bee shoes.  Make sure you have over wintering success and are confident in your methods.  As bad as it is to deal with the loss of a hive or two, it is that much more difficult when you have a high percentage of your 30 hive yard die out.  Keep us posted on the thought process, Swampcat.

[swampcat]

tonight I did the third and I hope the last treatment for a while.. I was suited up fully and didn't get stung..
I did it late and it got dark on me before I finished the last hive. I felt like the pied piper walking back to the house. I was followed by a swarm of bees. which found the back porch light then I was able to escape to the front porch and lose all but one which made it in the house..

I've had thoughts about these treatments, not to sure about them really. I wasn't going to do any more treatments for a while but I saw bees walking on the ground this afternoon and after checking a couple decided their wings were deformed.. I'll pull the bottom inserts in the morning to check the count.. I don't think we get a brood break like ya'll up north do.. our temps aren't much below freezing and not for very long at that. I'll say usually because I've been wrong about everything this season..

[swampcat]

That storm blew up through here, finally got some rain we really needed it..

spent some time in the shop, pulled down a couple of boards.. and started making a nuc hive.. so after I got stung up good at my friends place, I decided to make a nuc I could use the vaporizer on from behind the hive and under it.. put in a screened bottom.. and a slotted section so I could slide in a 1/4" piece of plywood, under the hive.. so I can close off the entrance, slide in the plywood bottom and vaporize them from the bottom and behind out of the way of the bees..

I could get a lot done if I would quit trying to invent something...