Oxalic Acid Talk
Can Varroa Mites Become Resistant to Oxalic Acid? What 20 Years of Studies Say
Fluvalinate, coumaphos and amitraz have all bred resistant mites. Oxalic acid has not, in more than 20 years of study, and the reason is mechanical, not luck. Rob Pollock walks through the three studies that tested it and the handful of things that actually make an oxalic acid treatment fail.
Are Craftsman and DeWalt Batteries Interchangeable? (No, and the $25 Adapter That Fixes It)
Craftsman V20 and DeWalt 20V MAX batteries are the same voltage from the same parent company, and they still do not fit each other’s tools. Here is why, the $25 adapter that fixes it, and which Craftsman pack to use on an InstantVap.
Beekeepers are reporting absconding and adult bee loss after Apivar 2.0 in hot weather, and a multi-university trial is on the way. What the public reports have in common, what the label says, what to do if the strips are already in your hives, and why the cool season the thread is waiting for is oxalic acid’s season.
Honey Bee Diseases: A Field Guide to What Kills Colonies, and What Just Looks Like It
Most honey bee disease is a varroa problem wearing a different name. A field guide to the pests and diseases you will actually meet, what each one looks like on the frame, and how to tell a primary disease from a mite-driven collapse.
HopGuard, Thymol and Oxalic Acid: The Natural Varroa Treatments Compared Honestly
Three organic varroa treatments, three very different trade-offs. Thymol is plant-derived and accumulates in your wax. HopGuard is gentle and needs repeating. Oxalic acid is the one that leaves nothing behind and hits 97% in the right window. A comparison for beekeepers who want the natural option without the marketing.
Formic Pro vs Oxalic Acid Vaporization: Brood Penetration, Queen Risk and When to Use Each
Formic Pro reaches mites under capped brood and can go on with honey supers in place. It also has a narrow temperature window and a documented habit of killing queens. Oxalic acid vaporization has neither problem and cannot touch capped brood. The two are complements, not rivals.
Oxalic Acid Dribble vs Vaporization: Which Works Better, and When Each One Makes Sense
The dribble costs almost nothing and works. Vaporization costs more up front, kills more mites, is gentler on the colony and does not require you to open a hive in December. Here is the comparison, including the case where the dribble is still the right call.
Oxalic Acid vs Amitraz (Apivar): Resistance, Residue and What Each One Actually Costs
Amitraz reaches mites under capped brood, which oxalic acid cannot. Amitraz also breeds resistance fast and accumulates in wax, which oxalic acid does not. A 2026 Auburn trial watched the resistant mite genotype climb from 39% to 71% across a single Apivar treatment. Here is the honest comparison.
Oxalic Acid Is Already in Your Honey: What the Residue Numbers Actually Say
Untreated honey contains 11 to 119 mg/kg of oxalic acid before any beekeeper touches the hive. When Swiss researchers treated colonies and measured again, the number did not move. Here is the residue question answered with measurements instead of opinions.