Apiguard - gone after 3 days - should take 2 weeks ???

[Jimy Dee]

Hello all

Small bit of guidance please. I read that apiguard should be on the hive for 2 weeks and then repeat with a new tray of apiguard for another 2 weeks.

Problem - my bees have the apiguard gone out of the hive after 3 days!

Does this scupper the 4 week/2 tray treatment?

What should I do - keep trays on the hive for 4 weeks irrespective of how many trays it takes?

Thanks in advance for all advise.

 

[For want of a better word]

Best to follow the manufacturers notes... although they do not state the size of colony or frame format!


Yeghes da

 

[MuswellMetro]

ok describe how you put the apiguard on and size of the colony,,,as i have seen it go in four days but only on a colony with the apiguard tray put on upside downi

 

[Jimy Dee]

Thanks Muswell (your reply is a bit more helpful than the earlier one by a different member)- it was a 6 frame nuc that has built into a full size colony this summer- commercial box. No supers, just the brood box on its own. I put a super box on top and lay the apiguard tray on top of the brood frames, the correct way up so it remained a tray and contained the apiguard within it. It was not inserted upside down. After 3 days they have most of it cleaned out (say 85%), another 24 or 48 hours should see it completely gone.

 

[oliver90owner]

With all due respect, the instructions are clear enough for most.

Your hive is likely approx on third larger than what Vita refer to as ''standard''?

They are specific wrt to timings and when to check and possibly add the second tray.

Your initial post was inaccurate c/f your second post. Exaggeration is not helpful. I might wonder if you were expecting a particular reply to confirm your wish to ignore the supplier's instructions?

I might ask whether your hive has a solid floor or OMF, whether the entrance was reduced and the height of the entrance. Also how many bees (strength of the colony).

You might also note that Vita supply a list of efficacies found in several countries, but surprisingly none from the British Isles? Makes one wonder how effective it might be in our conditions or why they omit these for their 'home market' area?

The poster who suggested following the manufacturer's notes was spot on. There should be no reason to alter those guidelines. A bit like blatantly ignoring the instructions given by you pharmacy for the use of prescribed drugs, such as antibiotic or pain relief medicaments.

Personally, I don't rate Apiguard as a particularly effective varroa treatment for the UK so I don't use it. Your choice to use it, so following the manufacurer's instructions would be the advice from me, too. I don't see any more helpful advice than that given at post#2 (perhaps you can explain how the other post was 'more helpful'?).

 

[Ruary]

Hello all

Small bit of guidance please. I read that apiguard should be on the hive for 2 weeks and then repeat with a new tray of apiguard for another 2 weeks.

Problem - my bees have the apiguard gone out of the hive after 3 days!

Does this scupper the 4 week/2 tray treatment?

What should I do - keep trays on the hive for 4 weeks irrespective of how many trays it takes?

Thanks in advance for all advise.

Would you please read the instructions on the box. I don't know where you got the idea that the second treatment is for another two weeks but it is incorrect.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Would you please read the instructions on the box. I don't know where you got the idea that the second treatment is for another two weeks but it is incorrect.

must be a different set of instructions for Ireland then, I have no idea where you get the idea that the second treatment is not for another two weeks - taken from the Vita Europe 'Apiguard - frequently asked questions':

Q: How do I apply Apiguard?
A: See Vita’s leaflet. If you are using Apiguard in trays: peel back the lid of the tray and place, gel
side up on top of the brood frames. Make sure to leave enough space for the bees to get into the
tray (use a spacer [an eke] or, more preferably an empty super on top of the brood chamber).
Close the hive. After 2 weeks repeat with a second tray and leave in place for 2 – 4 weeks.

Q: The first dose is supposed to be left on for 2 weeks but I’ve noticed that the gel
disappears after only a few days; do I need to put on another dose straight away?
A: No, the speed at which the gel disappears depends on the temperature and on the behaviour of
the individual colony. It can take from 2 to 10 days to be removed from the tray/dosing tray. The
gel will reduce as vapour is given off and as the bees detect the “foreign material” they try to
remove it. At high temperatures the vapours are stronger. The bees will find the gel and try to
clean it up quickly. Strong colonies generally work faster than smaller or weaker ones. At lower
temperatures, the gel sublimes more slowly. It is not detected as readily by the workers and they
do not remove it as quickly.
Even if the gel seems to have disappeared after only a few days there is no need to apply a
second treatment until 2 weeks have passed. The thymol, although not in the tray, is active
throughout the colony during this time, having been carried around by the housecleaning bee

As Icanhopit said - just follow the manufacturer's notes, obviously not safe to listen to some on here

 

[Ruary]

must be a different set of instructions for Ireland then, I have no idea where you get the idea that the second treatment is not for another two weeks - taken from the Vita Europe 'Apiguard - frequently asked questions':

Well : the instructions on the package states:
"Open the hive. Peel back the foil lid of the APIGUARD tray leaving one corner of the lid attached to the tray. Place the open tray centrally on top of the brood frames, gel side up. Ensure that there is a free space of at least 0.5cm between the top of the tray and the cover board, for example, by placing an eke or an empty super on top of the brood box. Close the hive. After two weeks replace the first tray with a new one, according to the same instruction…LEAVE THE PRODUCT IN THE COLONY UNTIL THE TRAY IS EMPTY. Remove the product when installing the supers on the colony" The older instructions stated that the first tray was to be left for 2weeks and the replacement for a further 4 weeks making a six week treatment.
The frequently asked questions from the Vita web page is general,and covers a multitude of climatic conditions while the label is specific to the country. In this case the packet is valid for both Ireland and the UK.

I DO READ LABEL INSTRUCTIONS.

 

[Ruary]

Hello all

Problem - my bees have the apiguard gone out of the hive after 3 days

Thanks in advance for all advise.

Another question arises: why did you open the hive after only three days?
Apiguard acts partly by the bees spreading it and also by vapourision of the thymol. Opening the hive doesn't do the concentration of thymol vapour any good as some will disperse into the air!

 

[For want of a better word]

your reply is a bit more helpful than the earlier one by a different member

Finman missed an opportunity of a massive diatribe here!

Yeghes da

 

[MartinL]

must be a different set of instructions for Ireland then, . . . . . just follow the manufacturer's notes,

obviously not safe to listen to some on here

Listen by all means, heed the dodgy advice from the odd idiot at your peril!


It only" does what it says on the tin" when you, do as it says on the tin!

 

[Finman]

.
Apiguard is thymol. Very efficient and common stuff. But if you give too small dosage, mites will survive in treatment. Like my friend saved and put one box dosage to 2 box hives. Result was bad mite damages.

 

[Finman]

your reply is a bit more helpful than the earlier one by a different member

Finman missed an opportunity of a massive diatribe here!

Yeghes da

Tonto.
Thymol has been used widely 15 years in varroa treatment. Time to come along Tamar Valley!

Nassa da

 

[Finman]

In Finland one dosage thymol strip for one langstroth box, price £ 1.6
it will be used during winter feeding.
.