Apiguard

[suetheramble]

I have just put apiguard in my hive but the crown board squashed it. I have left Apiguard in with 25% below the vent in the crown board and 75% squashed.
Not to happy with this though would it be OK to remove the crown board for the month?
Thanks

 

[Heather]

Erm.. Apiguard on top of the brood- then an eke... then a crown board

 

[Winker]

Erm.. Apiguard on top of the brood- then an eke... then a crown board

I made a few crown boards that i can turn around with one side having a built in eek so i can do the Apiguard treatment

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Apilife Var as an alternative if no eke is owned and no desire to buy/build one

 

[drstitson]

as well as the shallow eke (3-4cm) you need to close the crownboard holes too.

the idea is to have a well sealed hive (apart from OMF - with tray in - and entrance - shut down to deter wasps). some people gaffer tape hive joints too. and minimise volume - ie occupied brood box(s) plus shallow eke only.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I have just put apiguard in my hive but the crown board squashed it. I have left Apiguard in with 25% below the vent in the crown board and 75% squashed.
Not to happy with this though would it be OK to remove the crown board for the month?
Thanks

see Apiguard FAQ 2


use an eke or preferable a super


FAQ 4 always worries me, as i am on 14x12...as it says for brood& half :"bear in mind the level of might control might be lower" so how do i get it lower down in the 14x12

 

[region2]

I made an eke using some one bee one (1" x 1") timber in an 18" square for my apiguard last year - worked a treat!

Or I have made crown boards with bee space one side, 2" the other - easy to invert for fondant/apiguard on the top bars...

R2

 

[MuswellMetro]

I made an eke using some one bee one (1" x 1") timber in an 18" square for my apiguard last year - worked a treat!

Or I have made crown boards with bee space one side, 2" the other - easy to invert for fondant/apiguard on the top bars...

R2

i prefer an api eke, either £hornes or 25mm scrap wood one becasue it also allows you in spring to use two super +eke as a temp 14x12 brood box

allthough apiguard say preferabley use a super instead of an eke (FAQ2) i think an Eke work better as there is less for the bees to keep warm in september

 

[richardbees]

"i think an Eke work better as there is less for the bees to keep warm in september"

Yes MM - all that's needed is something to raise the cover board enough so the bees can paddle around in the foil trays.

 

[MuswellMetro]

when are you puting apiguard on this year , i am thinking of the 14th or 21st August

 

[Winker]

when are you puting apiguard on this year , i am thinking of the 14th or 21st August

i cant get down to single brood chamber yet. I have HB in my area and it apears to be keeping my bees active. I pulled my supers off last week and had to put them back on empty as the bees looked like they might swarm

 

[susbees]

when are you puting apiguard on this year , i am thinking of the 14th or 21st August

21st up here...flow on and want to do them all together

 

[richardbees]

MM

I've still got two supers on- expect to start Apiguard at beginning of Sept

Richard

 

[melon]

I was wondering whether to put a brood box of foundation on top of the apiguard. Is this a very bad idea? I can't do it on all the hives, as I haven't got enough spare brood boxes. I have 3 really hectic hives, and I really don't think I can squish them down into just one brood box. How do others reduce the bees to one brood box, when there are lots of them? When I look at night in the hive, they are virtually overflowing out of the entrance.

 

[oliver90owner]

How do others reduce the bees to one brood box,

I don't. I encourage them to collect nectar and store honey. They will diminish as the flows go. Usually when drones are ejected you know they are slowing. I just wait for the bees... But if you have an Italian strain that doesn't know when to stop brooding, you may have problems - like swarming!

If too strong I can always split them if I have queens around.

Regard, RAB

 

[melon]

Yes, I think my bees must have some Italian in them, and they do have a tendancy to swarm.....but the hive who didn't swarm this year or last are by far the biggest colony! I suppose that's quite logical, being as half of them didn't disappear earlier in the year!
Do you treat with Apiguard O90O? or do you treat and feed at same time? I think we all want to treat in August, when it is warm enough, but it is making decisions difficult, with trying to remove the honey in time.

 

[richardbees]

melon, I inspected my most vigorous colony this afternoon and it's quite noticeable that although the brood box was a seething mass of bees - there was a dramatical reduction in brood on the frames so lot's of space for stores.
richard

 

[oliver90owner]

Do you treat with Apiguard O90O?

No, I usually use a variant of Hivemakers method.

Thymol crystals dissolved in solvent, and dispensed onto folded kitchen paper towel squares. Not keen on apiguard and is too expensive. I have a few sachets around (I think) but prefer my own. I can add more for bigger colonies or less if the weather is very hot.

Regards, RAB