match
House Bee
- Joined
- May 20, 2009
- Messages
- 124
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- SE Scotland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 6-8
I've been watching winter round here fail to really arrive in the traditional cold and snowy sense, and instead be replaced with warm, wet windy weather - which never bodes well for the bees...
Normally I would pick a cold weekend in mid-January to do an oxalic trickle, relying on the cold period to leave the hives (mostly) broodless and up the efficacy of the oxalic acid.
However this year we just haven't had many days below 5-10C, and I know from experience that my queens will keep laying at those temps, probbaly boosting the varroa numbers too. The crazy storms have also meant I haven't had a chance to give any treatments.
So, I'm assuming I've now missed the window for oxalic to be really effective and useful? (Looks like oxalic during brood-right periods is only 50-60% efficient). Is this worthwhile?
I can't find any info on mite counts for this time of year - which is making deciding on the urgency of treatment all the more difficult. I know my counts in late Autumn were low, but enough that oxalic would have been a good idea...
FERA seems to suggest that the only options for spring treatments are formic (when warm enough) or mechanical treatments, like drone brood removal, or queen trapping.
Any other suggestions greatly appreciated!
Normally I would pick a cold weekend in mid-January to do an oxalic trickle, relying on the cold period to leave the hives (mostly) broodless and up the efficacy of the oxalic acid.
However this year we just haven't had many days below 5-10C, and I know from experience that my queens will keep laying at those temps, probbaly boosting the varroa numbers too. The crazy storms have also meant I haven't had a chance to give any treatments.
So, I'm assuming I've now missed the window for oxalic to be really effective and useful? (Looks like oxalic during brood-right periods is only 50-60% efficient). Is this worthwhile?
I can't find any info on mite counts for this time of year - which is making deciding on the urgency of treatment all the more difficult. I know my counts in late Autumn were low, but enough that oxalic would have been a good idea...
FERA seems to suggest that the only options for spring treatments are formic (when warm enough) or mechanical treatments, like drone brood removal, or queen trapping.
Any other suggestions greatly appreciated!