Your Cart is Empty
The fastest cordless oxalic acid vaporizer for beekeepers: about 10 seconds per 2 g dose and about 20 seconds at 4 g, on the DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ridgid or Bosch battery your crew already carries.
The Turbo is the InstantVap built for sideline and commercial apiaries, $550, rated 4.9/5 by 50+ beekeepers. It sublimates EPA-registered oxalic acid through the hive entrance and cycles fast enough that a crew can treat a 100-hive yard in a morning, and the display counts hives so nobody loses their place down a row. It is the unit we run in our own yards for the fall treatment series. Made in Hungary; sold, serviced and covered by a two-year warranty at Lorob Bees in Baltimore, MD.
Oxalic acid vaporization is a varroa mite treatment for honey bee colonies. The vaporizer heats 2 to 4 grams of oxalic acid dihydrate until it sublimates; the vapor fills the hive, recrystallizes on the bees and the comb, and kills varroa mites riding on adult bees while leaving the bees, the brood and the honey essentially untouched. Oxalic acid is registered by the EPA for this use and is labeled for use with honey supers on. Use only an EPA-registered product such as EZ-OX.
| Treatment time | About 10 seconds per 2 g dose, about 20 seconds per 4 g |
|---|---|
| Dose | Adjustable 1–4 g, tool-free dispenser |
| Weight without battery | 1.25 kg (2.75 lb) |
| Battery socket | DeWalt 20V, Milwaukee M18, Makita 18V LXT, Ridgid 18V, Bosch 18V or Metabo HPT 18V, chosen at checkout. Battery not included; 5Ah or larger recommended |
| Power | 400 W |
| Working temperature | Adjustable 446–500 °F (230–260 °C), °F or °C on the display |
| Display | Working temperature, battery voltage, total hives treated, hives on this battery |
| Warranty and service | 2-year parts warranty; repaired in the USA by Lorob Bees, Baltimore MD |
| Made in | Hungary |
At about 10 seconds a dose, the time per hive is the walk between colonies, not the vaporizer. The hive counter on the display keeps a crew's place down a row, a 6Ah pack covers roughly 40 hives at 2 g in mild weather, and the 5 lb EZ-OX bucket holds more than 1,100 doses at 2 g, which puts the acid cost near a dime a hive. No propane, no generator, no cord. The Treatment Series Planner builds the schedule for any hive count, and Lite vs Compact vs Original vs Turbo shows where the Turbo earns its price. For volume orders and fleet service, email us.
The status LED is readable in full sun without bending down: slow blink while warming up, steady when ready to treat the next hive, fast blink while the acid is sublimating, double blink when the battery is spent.
Batteries and chargers are not included; the batteries in the photos are for illustration. The Ryobi adapter is not recommended for the Turbo.
📄 Manuals, quick start, LED codes and cleaning for every InstantVap model, with US warranty and service, on one page at Lorob Bees.
Oxalic acid reaches mites on adult bees, not mites sealed under capped brood. A single treatment does the most work when the colony is broodless: mid-winter, after a swarm or package is hived, or during a natural or induced brood break. With brood present, beekeepers run a spaced series across a full worker brood cycle so mites are caught as they emerge, which is exactly the job the Turbo's speed and cycle counter are for. Our Treatment Series Planner builds that schedule for your hive count, and our Broodless Window Finder estimates when your colonies are most likely broodless.
Backed by a 2-year parts warranty. All warranty and repair work is handled in the United States by Lorob Bees in Baltimore, and we repair units past the warranty period too.
Q: Does the Turbo come with a battery?
A: No. It fits the DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ridgid, Bosch or Metabo HPT battery you choose at checkout. Use 5Ah or larger for best performance.
Q: How many hives can I treat per battery?
A: It depends on the pack and the dose. A 6Ah DeWalt pack treats roughly 40 hives at 2 g in mild weather; the display counts hives on the current battery so you know when to swap.
Q: What oxalic acid should I use in it?
A: Only EPA-registered oxalic acid such as EZ-OX; the 5 lb bucket is the bulk size for commercial yards. The label rate is 4 g per deep brood chamber; we recommend 2 g per box.
Q: Is safety gear required?
A: Yes. Oxalic acid vapor must never be inhaled. Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator with acid-gas cartridges, gloves and eye protection, and stand upwind of the hive entrance. We use the PD-101 full-face respirator.
Q: Do I need the Turbo, or is a smaller model enough?
A: Under about 20 hives, the Lite or Compact is usually the right buy. The Turbo earns its price when treatment rounds are measured in hours. The InstantVap Sizer will tell you honestly.
All four models side by side, with prices and treatment times, on our oxalic acid vaporizers page.