The ProVap 110 is a sideliner and commercial vaporizer (technically a sublimator) for treating beehives with oxalic acid (OA). It has no wand to insert, so you point and shoot. It needs no compressor or battery. Each hive takes about 20 seconds.
It runs on 110 volt house current, a generator or an inverter, and must be used in a grounded 3-prong socket. It takes about 2 minutes to reach operating temperature. The red readout shows 230 when it is ready. The bowl temperature is preset to 230 C, and you can change it with the set button and the arrow buttons.
To use it, drill a 1/4" hole in the back center of the 3/4" rim of the bottom board. Place the OA loosely in a white Teflon lid, push the lid onto the bowl, and insert the stem into the hole. Turn the vaporizer upright and tap the lid so the acid falls into the bowl. The temperature drops to about 210-215, then rises again. When it returns to 230, the hive is done. Seal any openings during vaporizing and for 10 minutes afterward. The vaporizer can also be used at front entrances with a paint stick drilled with a 1/4" hole as a vapor block.
- Power
- 110 volt, 500 watts, 4.6 amps
- Socket
- Grounded 110 volt (3-prong) only
- Warm-up time
- About 2 minutes
- Treatment time
- About 20 seconds per hive
- Temperature
- Preset to 230 C; adjustable
- Display
- Red readout shows bowl temperature; green readout shows set temperature
- Dosage
- 1 gram of OA per brood chamber (almost 1/4 teaspoon), for mediums or deeps, 8 or 10 frame; 1/8 gram for a nuc
- Lids
- White Teflon lids
- Power sources
- House current, generator or inverter
- Hive hole
- 1/4" hole in the back center of the 3/4" bottom board rim
- Care
- After use, rinse the bowl and stem with warm water until it flows out through the stem, and clean OA from the lids
- Safety
- Use a respirator rated for organic acids with replaceable filters, and heat-resistant gauntlet gloves; the bowl is very hot