apiguard- some dead bees?!

[burren]

Put apiguard( 1st time using it) on a nat hive on the 12th, ( used bayvarol last year) put varroa floor in, checked today and 20 dead bees on floor! That can be normal, right? I have not seen any bunching outside. It is quite a full hive on one brood box. We have not had hot weather. I had left the floor in since the 12th as I thought it best to help the vapours

 

[VEG]

normal with apiguard the bees are busy dealing with the apiguard and not taking out the dead. Leave the inspection tray in place until treatment has finished.

 

[burren]

thanks Veg

 

[newportbuzz]

i found when i first put in the tray that you sometimes trap some bees that seem to like to sit on the underside of the mesh floor. i had about 15 on one floor today and the tray was only in one day. i am sure it was the oil that killed them as they were drenched in it.

 

[Hombre]

On your inspection tray it's only supposed to be a slick of oil, not a pool. Enough to make life difficult for a teeny mite, but not a bee. It sounds like you may have over egged the pudding just a bit.

 

[newportbuzz]

On your inspection tray it's only supposed to be a slick of oil, not a pool. Enough to make life difficult for a teeny mite, but not a bee. It sounds like you may have over egged the pudding just a bit.

you are proberly right. my inspection board is at a rough guess 10 years old(secondhand) or more and i need to use a sheet of paper on it to give someting for the mites to stand out against so i fairly soaked the paper so it doesnt dry out as the oil soaks into the inspection board. also my one makes a bee tight seal so i imagine the unfortunate dozen will be the only casualtys and i will check before using it again next year. still learning.

 

[burren]

thanks Newportbuzz. I didnt oil/grease my tray-and thought I would try without. Still could not see any varroa, yes I know they must be there, but I can NEVER see them on the board. They cant all be jumping back up through the omf cant they?!

 

[enrico]

Wish I couldn't see any! I would suggest you may have a very good self grooming hive. Look after it like gold dust. No Varoa ....WOW!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I'm prepared to be shot down in flames on this but.....what's the point of oiling / greasing the tray during apiguard treatment?
If the apiguard is effective it will kill the mites - they're not going to be climbing back up into the hive.
I can understand the logic of it when you are just putting the tray in to do a mite count at some other time.

I've also been pretty varroa free this year. Not seen a single mite either before or after apiguard treatment.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

.what's the point of oiling / greasing the tray during apiguard treatment?

I can understand the logic of it when you are just putting the tray in to do a mite count at some other time.

Why wouldn't you want to count during treatment?

 

[enrico]

GBH you are dead right!
E

 

[VEG]

I dont count the mites just look at the board and think thats a lot or not too bad. After all the treatment is in there so it will kill them.