Anyone Using MAQS Strips This Autumn?

[kazmcc]

We are using MAQS on hive 2 this weekend. They had a really heavy mite drop so they need doing. I admit I am a tad concerned, but we have a cunning plan if all goes tips up

 

[GarysBees]

We are using MAQS on hive 2 this weekend. They had a really heavy mite drop so they need doing. I admit I am a tad concerned, but we have a cunning plan if all goes tips up

What would you consider a heavy mite drop?

 

[kazmcc]

What would you consider a heavy mite drop?

They are not my bees, they belong to Dusty, a forum member who kindly allows me to tag along on inspections. We examined the varroa board and there were varroa everywhere. We didn't do the divide thing and count, but there were so many of them we didn't need to, he decided to treat.

I don't have a lot of experience of examining varroa boards, but this is the most I've seen on one.

 

[B+.]

I don't have a lot of experience of examining varroa boards, but this is the most I've seen on one.

Are you counting nymphs as well as reproducing females?

 

[GarysBees]

They are not my bees, they belong to Dusty, a forum member who kindly allows me to tag along on inspections. We examined the varroa board and there were varroa everywhere. We didn't do the divide thing and count, but there were so many of them we didn't need to, he decided to treat.

I don't have a lot of experience of examining varroa boards, but this is the most I've seen on one.

Great thanks. My treatments been in since 20:00 last night and I've just taken out the inspection board. 24 hours previous I had counted 19... This time there was around 183. Treatment is working!

 

[B+.]

What would you consider a heavy mite drop?

According to Coloss (http://coloss.org/beebook/I/queen-rearing/3/3/3.3.5.-varroa-infestation?searchterm=summer+varr) 5-10 mites per 10g of bees is where you should consider treatment.

I did this test in the first week of July and got between 4 and 10 mites per 50g sample. This is with a no-treatment regime. I've been saying this for years: varroa tolerant bees are a better way

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've decided to go with Apiguard, & get a sublimator for oxalic in the Winter.
It really is a complicated subject

If your Autumn treatment is effective you don't need oxalic in winter...in my opinion.

 

[kazmcc]

Are you counting nymphs as well as reproducing females?

We didn't bother getting out the magnifying glass and really studying, as just having a quick look around the board showed so many adult mites.

Dusty informed me that it wasn't a very heavy drop, but heavy enough to start treating now.

I'm still learning all this as I go. Back when I had the school bees, my 'mentor' never taught me how to check for varroa properly, I never even saw the varroa tray for that hive, despite many requests to bring it. Everything I know about treating varroa has come from reading and asking questions, but until you actually see and do these things, you don't really get it - in my opinion

 

[Millet]

You will find the product marketed under the MAQS label.

For example:
http://www.thorne.co.uk/health-and-feeding/maqs
http://www.mannlake.co.uk/beekeeping-supplies/product/DC-630.html
http://www.bees-online.co.uk/view.asp?ID=1325
http://www.paynesbeefarm.co.uk/varroa-control/maqs-mite-away-quick-strips-bucket-10-hives/
They've even bought up http://www.maqs.co.uk

You really should be prepared to get used to that acronym ...

Thank you for that.. i will get used to the abbreviation's but if i type anything i will never use them as i find it lazy and ignorant to new people learning bee keeping.. but then again i'm stuck in my way's.. lol.

 

[beebot]

Thank you for that.. i will get used to the abbreviation's but if i type anything i will never use them as i find it lazy and ignorant to new people learning bee keeping.. but then again i'm stuck in my way's.. lol.

Really!!

 

[kazmcc]

Thank you for that.. i will get used to the abbreviation's but if i type anything i will never use them as i find it lazy and ignorant to new people learning bee keeping.. but then again i'm stuck in my way's.. lol.

When I first joined the forum, there was a list of all the abbreviations, I'm sure it's still knocking around somewhere. Yes, it was tricky as a beginner, but it was easy to ask if I didn't understand. Nobody minded

 

[Millet]

When I first joined the forum, there was a list of all the abbreviations, I'm sure it's still knocking around somewhere. Yes, it was tricky as a beginner, but it was easy to ask if I didn't understand. Nobody minded

Thank you for that Kaz .. i will stick with my own interpretation's but then again i do get called grumpy..lol .

 

[kazmcc]

Thank you for that Kaz .. i will stick with my own interpretation's but then again i do get called grumpy..lol .

Are you sure that isn't GBK? Ok, I'm going to go now

 

[stucat]

agreed.
but sometimes I think the human race might evolve better if we allowed Darwin's Theory to work in practice!

You should read "the Darwin awards" it seems we already do.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

The first time I used MAQS there were no problems. I used it on two double brood hives at this time last year and lost one queen.
I used some this spring:- I don't like to see bees staggering off the landing board to fall to the ground to die wondering if the queen will be one of them. The queen did survive in that case and I used 1/2 dose on a couple of other hives with little noticeable effects apart from a lot of fanning.. I would not buy it again.

There was one report for a beekeeper that it tainted honey. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Thank you for that.. i will get used to the abbreviation's but if i type anything i will never use them as i find it lazy and ignorant to new people learning bee keeping.. but then again i'm stuck in my way's.. lol.

Lazy as in not capitalising the letter "I" ?

Came onto the forum to see if there was any point in hanging onto my one year out of date MAQS - I've used it for the past couple of years without any noticeable issues bar the odd queen going off laying. But reading this thread I think has convinced me to get in the Apilife Var for the autumn treatment.

 

[Finman]

.
There are in Canada good documents, how to use formic acid.

Find from google 'flash treatment varroa'. They have used maqs over 10 years.

Apivar is thymol based.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The first time I used MAQS there were no problems. I used it on two double brood hives at this time last year and lost one queen.

Strange.
I would consider a 50% queen loss quite a significant problem

 

[Erichalfbee]

Lazy as in not capitalising the letter "I" ?

Aberrant apostrophe's?