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Randy,s Posts

The How and Why of Oxalic Vaporization: Part 1

Contents THE PROCESS OF OXALIC ACID VAPORIZATION 2 THE PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF OXALIC ACID VAPORIZATION 3 GUN-TYPE VAPORIZERS 5 THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF OXALIC ACID 6 WHAT GOES IN, DOESN’T COME OUT! 6 HOW TO CAPTURE THE VAPOR OUTPUT FOR ANALYSIS? 9 QUANTIFICATION OF THE ACIDIC OUTPUT VIA TITRATION 15 BUYER BEWARE: THE NEED FOR...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 3: The Equipment Required

Contents INTRODUCTION – SOME ARTICLES FROM 2017 1 MY OBJECTIVE 2 LET’S PUT TO REST TO A COMMON MISCONCEPTION 3 DEVELOPMENT OF THE MITE WASH TECHNIQUE 3 DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE TO DO THOUSANDS OF MITE WASHES 4 A SYSTEM TO AVOID CONFUSION IN THE FIELD 5 DEVELOPMENT OF PORTABLE IN-FIELD AGITATORS 7 NEXT MONTH...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance Part 4: How We Do It

Contents NOTE TO OUR COUNTRY’S QUEEN PRODUCERS 2 IT’S NOT A “ONE AND DONE” 2 HOW WE DO IT 2 PICKING OUR QUEENS TO BREED FROM 3 ELIMINATING UNWANTED ALLELES WHILE MAINTAINING GENETIC DIVERSITY 4 PROPAGATING OUR BREEDERS 4 MANAGING OUR DRONE POOL 5 START THE VARROA RACE! 7 OUR MITE-RESISTANCE ASSAY 8 FOLLOW UP...

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A Plant That Attracts Thirsty Bees

Contents How Can We Not Love Swimming Pools?………………………………………………………………………………1 Providing Bees with Alternative Water Sources ………………………………………………………………………2 Fabricating Artificial Water Sources………………………………………………………………………………………4 So What Have I Learned?…………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Water Collectors are Different than Nectar Foragers ……………………………………………………………12 What Have I Found to Work Best? ……………………………………………………………………………………..14 It Doesn’t Appear to be the Flowers or the Scent …………………………………………………………………16 Wrap Up ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 Disclaimer………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18...

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The How and Why of Oxalic Vaporization: Part 2

Contents TESTING THE VARROX 2 WOULD MAINTAINING A LOWER TEMPERATURE REDUCE DEGRADATION? 6 THE LEIDENFROST EFFECT 8 SECOND-BY-SECOND OXALIC ACID OUTPUT 9 SUMMARY OF OUR FINDINGS 13 HOW MUCH FORMIC ACID IS IN THE OUTPUT? 15 SO WHAT’S THE OPTIMAL START-POINT TEMPERATURE? 20 HOW DO THE OXALIC OUTPUTS OF VARIOUS VAPORIZERS COMPARE? 22 IT’S IMPORTANT...

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Selective Breeding for Mite Resistance: Part 5–It’s Your Turn

  Contents SUPPLY FOLLOWS DEMAND.. 4 SOME SUGGESTIONS. 4 SO HERE’S A LIST OF SOME OPTIONS: 4 Option #1 (Take your breeders from Nature) 4 Option #2 (Rolling the dice) 5 Option #3 (the one that we took) 5 Option #4 (the easiest) 6 HOW MANY COLONIES DO I NEED?. 6 HOW SHOULD I CONTROL...

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