Anyone using icing sugar only to treat Verona?

[msillence]

Hi,

I had a low drop rate before winter and thought I'd try just dusting the bees with icing sugar. I see in the Bbka and at our recent talk from a bee inspector only chemical treatments work and doom for all else.

Is it just too labour intensive for most people? Or does it really not work?

Has anyone been doing it for more than a few years with success? How often do you dust? Any magic formula? I've read some people use a mix with flower.

Thanks,
M

 

[Poly Hive]

Not too sure why I would want to go the the expense of treating the population of Verona, all...265,000 of them with powdered sugar.

Seriously though for Varroa it is now derided as ineffective.

Would I use it? Never.

PH

 

[Black Comb]

Been discussed on here quite a lot the past.
A study in N. America (probably Canada from memory) came to the conclusion it is a waste of time.

 

[For want of a better word]

Just as a matter of interest and serious debate I asked this question to an acquaintance who practices Homeopathic medicine.

The considered reply was it depends where the icing sugar came from.
Beet sugar will have traces of boron as farmers ensure the beet has this in sufficiency as a trace element or the beet will not thrive.
Cane sugar will have traces of pesticides as large amounts are used in growing... and arsenic, as most of the land used to grow cane sugar was contaminated with massive amounts of arsenic in the 19th century before modern pesticides were developed.

I think you would need one of James Lovelock's inventions... the electron capture device.. to catch the one molecule in a Gigga Gazzillion to be sure!

IMO... keep the sugar for your fairy cakes

 

[DulwichGnome]

We had the local Bee Inspector give a talk on bee health the other day and the subject of using icing sugar came up. His opinion was that while it was able to hold the varroa at it's current level it did not reduce them. Useful when you have honey you want to take off but stop using it ever week and the levels of verroa will rise.

Mike

 

[Arfermo]

Been discussed on here quite a lot the past.
A study in N. America (probably Canada from memory) came to the conclusion it is a waste of time.

And money!!!!

 

[aberreef]

I tried it the other day because my varroa level is very high despite autumn and winter chemical treatment. The colony was on a solid floor (changed to OMF last week) so don't know the count before .

The 'treatment' gave a drop of about 50 mites but, by the next morning when I was due to clean the floor, the bees were busily collecting the sugar and presumably getting reinfected with the mites Alot of the mites were alive and quite lively though so presumably knocked off by the post sugar cleaning?

I've bought some Hiveclean which is due to arrive today hopefully so will try this next

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I tried sugar once and found it a complete waste of time. Some I know still have used it recently because it is deamed 'chemical free' [lol] and they don't want to be seen using 'stronger' chemicals. They now need to buy new bees however....

 

[drstitson]

i don't even think that icing sugar would be any good to just treat those people fainting in the heat during opera performances in the Arena.

 

[Tom Bick]

I tried sugar once and found it a complete waste of time. Some I know still have used it recently because it is deamed 'chemical free' [lol] and they don't want to be seen using 'stronger' chemicals. They now need to buy new bees however....

Tel them to check the ingredients on the packet.

To be totally chemical free tell them to grind the sugar themselves as and when they need it.

 

[Mike101]

To make any impact on the mite population you need to repeat the dusting several times over 3-4 weeks if there is capped brood (which is most of the time), making it labour intensive and not very popular with the bees!.

It certainly does increase mite drop (clogs there sticky little feet up so they cant hang on), I guess it is one spanner in the toolbox but I well back in the pecking order behind apiguard, drone traps and oxalic acid.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

to be honest Tom, that is least of their worries, they needed to stop thinking that just sugar will solve their problems and realise that Varroa control need many tools in the tool box and be prepared to use some that are not chemical free when they are appropriate to keep healthy bees.

 

[Phayze]

Fondant icing sugar from asda is glucose with no e numbers in I used it to make fondant and feed over winter they do like it though even in powder form

 

[MuswellMetro]

see this thread on IBRA reseach 2005 on Sugering

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=10350&page=2

in short,

excessive and frequent sugaring can cause caking in the larva cells and a drop in emerging brood of up to 20%

A single light sugaring can result in over 50% of eggs being removed

 

[petersbees]

Also believe that it icing sugar can sometimes dehydrate the larvae in the cells if used to excess.