Hello! First year beekeeper here. I recently inspected my hive and noticed some varroa on drone larvae. I also spotted some bees in front of the hive walking about as if they couldn't fly. I don't suspect a huge varroa infestation...but I also want a strong hive going into winter as I live in the northeast and winters tend to be brutal. I've been researching oxalic acid vaporization and I'm comfortable with the procedure. My question is does anyone know how the treatment may affect honey harvested the next year? Will the honey still be edible and safe? My thought is that the bees will clean up any residue left in the hive after treatment in time for next year's harvest. Any input in greatly appreciated. Thank you!
With oxalic acid, you can treat with supers on and harvest the same honey later. It doesn't harm the honey at all.
Idee are you saying the cautions against leaving supers in place that I see in these FAQ sheets out there by Dadant and Brushy are not necessary? Or are you commenting on leaving the honey in place for "bee use" and not for harvest?
Your honey already has OA in it, as do most plants. A lot of it in Rhubarb.
I dont treat with OAV with the supers on, but only because of the timing of that treatment. Early spring and fall. I have read research that tested the concentrations of OA in the honey and found no noticeable increase after treatment with supers on.