Using Winter Patties

Winter patties are basically sugar. They are for emergency feeding. They may help a colony survive late winter starvation that can be a problem for beekeepers in the upper Midwest.

Using an Oxalic Acid vaporizer

A customer sent me some pics of his use of a Oxalic Acid vaporizer. He did not treat for Varroa at all in late summer. The  Oxalic Acid Vaporizer did work well on taking out his mites.

On close inspection you can see all the maroon colored mites

pics be J. Fetrow

Varroa Mite Challenge.

The Univ of MN would like all beekeepers to take part in their mite survey.
This is a great way to find out mite count around the state of MN and WI. This mite count can help us to determine the mite load of a general area of the U.S.
 University of MN Mite Survey from the Bee Squad

Pollinator Forum

There is a Pollinator Policy Forum to be held on October 22nd
Maplewood Community Center
2100 White Bear Ave.
6:30 pm
There is no charge for this forum
This forum is hosted by local political figures. The local area politicians are concerned about pollinators and need information to see how they can help.
  This can greatly help beekeepers establish better forage for all pollinators with the state of MN and the other contributors in attendance. Better forage will lead to stronger more prolific colonies that will a chance to have better survival.

Govt. Label Instructions for Oxalic Acid

Here is a link to the Govt. Oxalic Acid Label Instructions. The label describes the hazards of using Oxalic Acid, proper dose mixing levels, methods of application.
 Both drizzle and vaporization methods. The link takes you to the PDF page. Open the PDF, it is a two page document.
Oxalic Acid Dihydrate Product Label

 This is a powder. Many big box hardware stores do not carry this product. I purchased this container of Oxalic Acid at Ace Hardware. It is a 12 oz or 340 grams. It is enough Oxalic Acid to treat around 150 colonies with a vaporizer.

Bee Cozy Winter Wrap

Wintering Bees in Minnesota