Keepers Helping Keepers
Beekeepers manage colonies of honeybees. We also manage our fellow beekeepers to help each other become better stewards of our resources.
My personal recommendation for beginners and seasoned beeks alike is to join you local beekeeper's association.
My local club is the Chester County Beekeeper's Association of Pennsylvania and the PA State Association.
There are also many resources found on Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and other social media platforms. However, nothing replaces the one-on-one interaction that one gets with another beekeeper.
Oxalic Acid Dribble
Recipe from Blue Sky Bee Supply
Recipe from Better Bee
Application
1. Draw about 50ml of the solution into a syringe. Note: This is the maximum dose for an entire colony.
2. Dribble NO MORE than 5ml of solution along any seam (the space between two frames or the space between a frame and a sidewall) in the hive containing bees. Any solution that lands on a top bar does not count as this will not be circulated through the hive.
3. Once you have reached 5ml in a seam, move on to the next.
4. Once each seam of bees has received 5ml of solution, you are done - even if you have solution left in your syringe.
5. Do not exceed 50ml of solution in an entire colony. So if you have more than 10 seams containing bees, dribble the 10 seams containing the most bees.
Helpful tips:
1. Since it will likely be cold when performing the dribble, it is helpful to have someone help you by either tipping your top brood boxes forward or removing them for you while you dribble. This will help to limit the amount of time your hives are open and exposed to the cold.
2. Keep the solution inside before use to keep warm. Don't heat above 90F.
