Apitraz Strips & Varroa Pics!

[XYZ]

Hi everyone,

Today I put two Apitraz strips in one of my hives and one strip in my nuc. The other hive which is still making me honey (slowly) isn't getting treated.
I cleaned out my inspection tray and slid it back in.

I noticed only an hour or so later, in a quick count, 12 or more varroa had dropped. Is this stuff really that quick? Or are my bees just so ramped with varroa?

Questions:
1. Have I timed this about right to start treating?
2. Should I start feeding these with invert mixed with thymol?
3. What treatments would you advise next and when?

Anyway, I took some pics and even a video - https://1drv.ms/v/s!Av81dIXQWFUjpFycYnUzPrwf9akj

 

[Bee Boys]

Very nice hive .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Amitraz is actually slow
Here’s a pic of a monitoring board 12 hours after a vape
Not mine

 

[ShinySideUp]

If there is a hive you are not treating then the varroa there will be safe until they move to the treated hives via drifting bees thereby wasting your efforts.

 

[XYZ]

If there is a hive you are not treating then the varroa there will be safe until they move to the treated hives via drifting bees thereby wasting your efforts.

Fair point. The colony with honey has three weeks to show whether they're going to add any or not. Then they get treated.
Treatment lasts 6 weeks - I figured that wouldn't be too bad.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fair point. The colony with honey has three weeks to show whether they're going to add any or not. Then they get treated.
Treatment lasts 6 weeks - I figured that wouldn't be too bad.

As long as you have some overlap you should be fine

 

[XYZ]

So I added two strips to the last colony yesterday... This is the swarm I caught a few months back and re-queened just recently. Checked the underfloor tray today and saw a massive drop. Maybe that contributed to their tetchy attitude! Still, I have a nice Bucky for next season, and a spare brood box ready in case she's a keeper.

I have a pic to share and of course a video (here)

 

[Ian123]

Fair point. The colony with honey has three weeks to show whether they're going to add any or not. Then they get treated.
Treatment lasts 6 weeks - I figured that wouldn't be too bad.

Are you desperate for honey, what are you expecting or hoping for

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fair point. The colony with honey has three weeks to show whether they're going to add any or not. Then they get treated.
Treatment lasts 6 weeks - I figured that wouldn't be too bad.

Winter bees are made in September/October
They are the ones that kick start the colony in spring.
Think about it

 

[XYZ]

Are you desperate for honey, what are you expecting or hoping for

Not any more, I extracted a couple of litres from that hive and now they're on Apitraz before the other two come off. I was just updating the thread with a pic and video of the mite drop just a day after adding strips to the last hive.

Winter bees are made in September/October
They are the ones that kick start the colony in spring.
Think about it

Yeah fair enough, this is the colony I re-queened so I had to wait for her to get used to the little nuc and then newspaper unite. Now they had settled I added the strips. Feels like a good call considering how many mites dropped.

 

[madasafish]

Drop looks fairly normal.. I have osccasionally seen so many drop in the first 3-4 days that teh board looks more black than white - literally hundreds..

I just stop all honey collection and switch everything to treatment and winter preps.. makes it so much easier.. And even then had problems in past with bees robbing what must be a nearby deadout with v high varroa levels as the drop continued for weeks in hundreds per week..improbable if all varroa were just in my own hives..

 

[Erichalfbee]

And even then had problems in past with bees robbing what must be a nearby deadout with v high varroa levels as the drop continued for weeks in hundreds per week..improbable if all varroa were just in my own hives..

Had one a few years ago just like that
Nearly 8k mites in two months.
7 vapes then Amitraz

I couldn’t believe the first drop so I began counting

 

[Millet]

To me Jazz that colony still looks weak to be in a full brood box..here is a picture of one of mine from last week..this is how I like mine going into winter.

 

[madasafish]

To me Jazz that colony still looks weak to be in a full brood box..here is a picture of one of mine from last week..this is how I like mine going into winter.

Agreed. The outer 5 frames look like stores with minimal bees..I would dummy them down with insulated board or nuc them..

 

[XYZ]

To me Jazz that colony still looks weak to be in a full brood box..here is a picture of one of mine from last week..this is how I like mine going into winter.

Agreed. The outer 5 frames look like stores with minimal bees..I would dummy them down with insulated board or nuc them..

Yeah they have grown a little since then, as that pic is from over a month ago, and I've stuck them a heavy feed on. Will go back next week and see how they got on. I have some dummy boards (made from polystyrene and foil tape) ready just in case.

 

[Millet]

Yeah they have grown a little since then, as that pic is from over a month ago, and I've stuck them a heavy feed on. Will go back next week and see how they got on. I have some dummy boards (made from polystyrene and foil tape) ready just in case.

Sorry Jazz I'm on my phone and did not see the date...they do tend to build up slow or come to a halt if they have too much space to keep warm..however I am sure someone is pointing you in the right direction..