Losing hives to Varroa mites is one of the more frustrating parts of keeping bees as a hobby, and a lot of the vaporizer equipment on the market is priced for commercial operations. The InstantVap Lite is aimed specifically at small-scale beekeepers like me, so I tried it across my own colonies this season.
This is an 18v oxalic acid vaporizer built for up to 20 colonies, which covers my setup with room to grow. It is noticeably more compact and lighter than the commercial-grade vaporizers I have borrowed from other beekeepers in the past.
The vaporizer heats up quickly and delivers a consistent treatment cycle per hive. For a hobbyist apiary, the process was straightforward enough that I did not need to reference the manual after the first couple of uses.
Pros: budget-friendly compared to commercial units, sized appropriately for up to 20 colonies, quick heat-up time. Cons: if you are managing a large commercial apiary beyond 20 colonies, you will likely need a higher-capacity vaporizer instead.
At $349, this is a meaningful investment for a hobbyist, but it is still considerably less than most commercial oxalic acid vaporizers, and Varroa treatment is not something worth skimping on if you want your hives to survive winter.
Take a look at the InstantVap Lite here if Varroa mites have been a problem in your own hives.
#review #Beekeeping #InstantVapLite #VarroaTreatment #Apiary
