Apilife Var

[Millet]

How do you experienced folk rate the product.. ? .
I have read review's and researched it on the net and it sound's like a good varroa treatment..

I started treatment with the product on Sunday and over a 2 day period they must be around 100 dead mites on the inspection board and also a lot of pollen ball's dropped and maybe a dead 2/3 day old bee larvae (not sure if it's some kind of pollen though as it's sqaushed) ..

I'm thinking the pollen drop is normal as the bee's have been very very active on on many flower's not far away from the hive..

My average varroa drop was around 45/50 every 7day's prior to treatment which i was advised to treat just after the bee's arrived but i thought it best to let them settle in...

As stated on the Dosage i am using one strip cut into 4 equal squares and placed in each corner of the brood box.. NOT above the brood..the adult bee's seem fine while shredding the strip's and the traffic in and out is normal..

Does that ramble i have typed sound normal or should i worry.. lol..

 

[enrico]

As long as you don't use it with supers on I have little doubt it works. It's a long treatment so most of us use it at the end of the summer. However if needs must, as in your situation, then it works as well as any others. I prefer MAQS as it is a one week treatment and can be used with a honey crop.
E

 

[Millet]

I have much to learn Enrico and thank you.. i do have one empty super on the brood box as i have 10 frames nearly full of brood and food.. i won't be there for another 5 day's so i thought best to give them room.. as the current nectar and pollen flow has gone through the roof where the hive is placed at the moment..

 

[Hawklord]

I wasn't expecting them to fill the brood box that quick. If she's going to be a prolific queen you could add a 2nd brood box, this would give you a big colony next spring and get another set of brood frames drawn.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

How do you experienced folk rate the product.. ? .
I have read review's and researched it on the net and it sound's like a good varroa treatment..

I started treatment with the product on Sunday and over a 2 day period they must be around 100 dead mites on the inspection board and also a lot of pollen ball's dropped and maybe a dead 2/3 day old bee larvae (not sure if it's some kind of pollen though as it's sqaushed) ..

I'm thinking the pollen drop is normal as the bee's have been very very active on on many flower's not far away from the hive..

My average varroa drop was around 45/50 every 7day's prior to treatment which i was advised to treat just after the bee's arrived but i thought it best to let them settle in...

As stated on the Dosage i am using one strip cut into 4 equal squares and placed in each corner of the brood box.. NOT above the brood..the adult bee's seem fine while shredding the strip's and the traffic in and out is normal..

Does that ramble i have typed sound normal or should i worry.. lol..

I've used it with good effect. The thin wafers lend themselves to applying to the top of the frames without the need to use an eke.
Don't use it before removal of any honey you wish to extract for human consumption.

 

[itma]

...
I have read review's and researched it on the net and it sound's like a good varroa treatment..
...
As stated on the Dosage i am using one strip cut into 4 equal squares and placed in each corner of the brood box.. NOT above the brood..the adult bee's seem fine while shredding the strip's and the traffic in and out is normal..

It kills varroa outside brood cells.
Which is why the treatment is not instant. It needs to be maintained through a couple of brood cycles.

Its as well tolerated by the bees as other thymol-based treatments.

However it does taint any honey left on the hive (though the bees don't seem to mind) - which is why it is used only after taking the harvest.

One peculiarity of ApilifeVar that may need pointing out is that it must be kept away from contact with plastics - particularly the expanded polystyrene of poly hives (it turns them to goo). So, while it CAN be used in poly, one must take care to keep it away from the plastic.

 

[Millet]

I wasn't expecting them to fill the brood box that quick. If she's going to be a prolific queen you could add a 2nd brood box, this would give you a big colony next spring and get another set of brood frames drawn.

She and the Bee's are on Fire Col... if you see my apiary site you will see why.. it's in a sheltered spot on mixed marsh and grazing land with fertile ground all around.. hopefully i will keep these alive and help the bee's 10 fold..

 

[Millet]

It kills varroa outside brood cells.
Which is why the treatment is not instant. It needs to be maintained through a couple of brood cycles.

Its as well tolerated by the bees as other thymol-based treatments.
must

Thankyou Million's for that..

 

[KiwiLad]

Randy Oliver at www.scientificbeekeeping.com has some very comprehensive information on the use and effectiveness of this and similar products. In particular, read his IPM 7 The Arsenal: “Natural” Treatments – Part 2 page.

 

[Millet]

Thankyou for that link Kiwi lad.. there's 2 point's about Apilife that have me thinking..

(1).. Being temperature for the Apilife to work properly.. the hive temperature is kept around 32 / 35 C so in my opinion temperature should not be a problem.

(2) Placing the product on the top bar's..i noticed a big increase in noise from the hive when the product was placed.. obviously the bee's had turned there air conditioning up to try and blow the smell out.. the hive is vented up over so will most of the product be blown out of the top vent's.. i have noticed the bee's chewing the Apilife up so they will be a small percentage left on the inspection board which hopefully will be vented up over..Would it not be better to place some below and above..? . i will stick to the instructions but it does have me thinking..

 

[itma]

Thankyou for that link Kiwi lad.. there's 2 point's about Apilife that have me thinking..

(1).. Being temperature for the Apilife to work properly.. the hive temperature is kept around 32 / 35 C so in my opinion temperature should not be a problem.

(2) ... the hive is vented up over so will most of the product be blown out of the top vent's.. ...

No!

The bees maintain the temperature of the brood at about 34C.
They do not heat the hive, as such.

The ApilifeVar instructions specifically instruct you not to put the product in the middle of the brood box, or close to the brood --- ie where the temperature should be lower than the brood temperature (how much lower will depend on several factors).

One factor is top ventilation.
Forum orthodoxy is against top ventilation. And in favour of top insulation of wooden hives (another factor).
My realisation that insulation would be a good idea year-round (which lead me to poly hives) came after an NDB (and retired SBI) casually mentioned that he insulated before starting his Apiguard (Thymol) treatment, so as to better guarantee enough temperature for the treatment's success.

 

[Millet]

No!

The bees maintain the temperature of the brood at about 34C.
They do not heat the hive, as such.

The ApilifeVar instructions specifically instruct you not to put the product in the middle of the brood box, or close to the brood --- ie where the temperature should be lower than the brood temperature (how much lower will depend on several factors).

One factor is top ventilation.
Forum orthodoxy is against top ventilation. And in favour of top insulation of wooden hives (another factor).
My realisation that insulation would be a good idea year-round (which lead me to poly hives) came after an NDB (and retired SBI) casually mentioned that he insulated before starting his Apiguard (Thymol) treatment, so as to better guarantee enough temperature for the treatment's success.

Thank you very much for that it is something i may consider..? .

 

[mjt68]

I've used this product for last 3 years - started and found it worked and if it ain't broke don't fix it. Will melt polystyrene on contact though.

This year planning on MAQS while supering for ivy. Experiment.

 

[Millet]

Thank you and i love the little dog in your avatar.. he look's like the little pocket rocket here...

 

[Vortex]

I've used this over the last 3 years and prefer it to ApiGuard.. I also tend not to treat until the start of September as I'm generally not in a position to take the honey supers off until the August Bank holiday Weekend. With it's wider temperature tolerance band it suits me jut fine.
Different hive react differently to it .. some "clean" it away whilst others cover it in propolis. I've also had varying effects in queens going "off lay", on some it has no effect whilst on others it puts them off for a week or two .. remember it's a 3 week treatment for full effect. I've also used it on nucs at a reduced rate (1/2 a square).
I'm going to try MAQS this year as part of a rotating treatment regime.

 

[Erichalfbee]

MAQS is best done earlier in the year, say June, in case you have problems with the queen.

 

[itma]

MAQS is best done earlier in the year, say June, in case you have problems with the queen.

MAQS is not a direct alternative to Apiguard.
It is best not used at "Apiguard time".

It is possible to use it earlier, with honey on the hive, because it leaves no taint or residue.
I'd happily use MAQS again for mid-season firefighting, but not after taking the crop.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I

MAQS is not a direct alternative to Apiguard.
It is best not used at "Apiguard time".

It is possible to use it earlier, with honey on the hive, because it leaves no taint or residue.
I'd happily use MAQS again for mid-season firefighting, but not after taking the crop.

Yes and beginners should understand this. MAQS is not the simple treatment the manufacturers would have us believe. There are documented queen losses and while that may not be important if a beekeeper has many hives to the two hive owner the loss of a queen when she cannot be easily replaced is significant and devastating to those with just the one colony

 

[Millet]

Thank you but sorry i don't have a clue what MAQS is.. ?

Anyway from my first week of treatment (8 day's) i counted on average of over 1000 dead mite on the inspection board.. this was worked out by measuring the board in grid's then counting a section to give an average..

After the 2 week treatment the inspection board was clear 2 day's later.. when the capped brood appear i'm sure the inspection board won't be so clear..

Any help given is very much appreciated by the way .. and if anyone is local to the Alnwick area who keep's bee's you can take any surplus honey.. not now obviously but next year.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Thank you but sorry i don't have a clue what MAQS is.. ?

Formic acid on pads, for dealing with varroa. http://nodglobal.com/maqs-beehive-strips-united-kingdom/