Bee inspector

[Erichalfbee]

Regardless of missing the bee inspector, what is the all the palava with varroa, to me it has got to be the easiest thing too kill, i could not be done with this sugar shake exercise, if i see a significant number on the inspection tray at this time of the year the bees will be gassed with oxalic acid every week for 1 month and then gassed accordingly until i am happy.

Every five days three or four times

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Regardless of missing the bee inspector, what is the all the palava with varroa, to me it has got to be the easiest thing too kill, i could not be done with this sugar shake exercise, if i see a significant number on the inspection tray at this time of the year the bees will be gassed with oxalic acid every week for 1 month and then gassed accordingly until i am happy.

Sugar shake as described is not a method of varoa control - it's just a method of measuring the mite load of the colony.

 

[Millet]

Sugar shake as described is not a method of varoa control - it's just a method of measuring the mite load of the colony.

I know but why mess about measuring the load, check the inspection tray and zap them accordingly, surely that is easier and less stressful
. ???

 

[Millet]

Every five days three or four times

 

[Gaz1]

As with everything as time goes on you know what best works for you. And I will adopt my own style! I can't see myself doing the sugar shake very often as you said the tray is much easier and so on, but for me I enjoy trying different methods and making my mind up after, how i learnt my trade and well how else you learn! Just gotta suck and see I say

 

[Webby]

You should register on Beebase.

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?

Ok thanks

 

[Webby]

It's not mandatory i.e a legal requirement to register on Beebase but I think it's advisable. You are notified of local outbreaks of disease and you get to have your bees inspected by an expert, which if you are a beginner is no bad thing. In 4 years, mine have been inspected twice - once immediately after I registered and once because I live near a port and the inspector did a one-off check for Small Hive Beetle.

It's all very painless and you might get to learn stuff by carefully watching how the inspector handles your bees.

CVB

Thanks for the info, Sam

 

[beeno]

Take no notice of her - woman talks so much rubbish she probably has to pay landfill tax.
Bee inspectors like to make contact with new beekeepers ASAP just to get to know them, get an idea of their skill levels, pass on a lot of good knowledge, get newbies started off on the right foot and ensure they know that SBI's are not ogres to be ignored but a good resource for beekeepers, especially those not so sure of their craft. Relax!

Fallen on your own sword again then. You must be talking about yourself there, as our bee inspectors have too busy schedule with just disease control measures, exotic pest monitoring and running lectures on the same. No time just to get to know you. If you try to reassure someone by misleading them then you are no help at all.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Take no notice of her - woman talks so much rubbish she probably has to pay landfill tax.
Bee inspectors like to make contact with new beekeepers ASAP just to get to know them, get an idea of their skill levels, pass on a lot of good knowledge, get newbies started off on the right foot and ensure they know that SBI's are not ogres to be ignored but a good resource for beekeepers, especially those not so sure of their craft. Relax!

Certainly true of when I began. I had my first bees for only a few weeks when I received a phone call to book a visit inspectors are very welcome visitors.

 

[Briarfield]

I was in my third or fourth season, we are in a very low FB incidence area, one on 10 years I think, and that was 20km away.

We are close to exotic pest risk areas and the SBIs work seems much more focuses on these.

A well spent afternoon.

 

[mazzamazda]

I know but why mess about measuring the load, check the inspection tray and zap them accordingly, surely that is easier and less stressful
. ???

Inspection tray not necessarily an accurate measure of varroa load.

 

[Millet]

Inspection tray not necessarily an accurate measure of varroa load.

No it is not but if you get a significant drop you simply gas them for two and a half minutes, what could be more simple and more effective.

 

[mazzamazda]

No it is not but if you get a significant drop you simply gas them for two and a half minutes, what could be more simple and more effective.

Personally after losing lots of hives to varroa, with little drop I'd never use that method again. I cant use a vapourizer either.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Inspection tray not necessarily an accurate measure of varroa load.

I agree but neither it seems is the sugar-roll test as it seems to depend on where you take your sample. Nurse bees > average, young bees in supers + or - average, flying bees < average. I found doing the SR test time-consuming and stressfull both for me and the bees. I think the monitoring board/inspection tray, whilst not dead-nuts accurate, will give you a trend and if you're getting >20 pd falling out of the hive after a steady upward trend, it's time to act.

I have one hive, where the queen seems to be breeding drones for the county, that has masses of mites and after 4 treatments, I'm still getting big drops, days after the last treatment. On the bright side, I have killed over 3200 mites in 6 weeks.

CVB

p.s. I've just done a count after yesterday's 5th treatment and 489 mites popped their clogs in 1 day - what's going on?

 

[Millet]

Personally after losing lots of hives to varroa, with little drop I'd never use that method again. I cant use a vapourizer either.

That is a shame, why can you not use a vaporizer ? , is it some kind of law in your part of the world.

 

[maddydog]

On the bright side, I have killed over 3200 mites in 6 weeks.

CVB

Christ, that must take some counting!

 

[mazzamazda]

I agree but neither it seems is the sugar-roll test as it seems to depend on where you take your sample. Nurse bees > average, young bees in supers + or - average, flying bees < average. I found doing the SR test time-consuming and stressfull both for me and the bees. I think the monitoring board/inspection tray, whilst not dead-nuts accurate, will give you a trend and if you're getting >20 pd falling out of the hive after a steady upward trend, it's time to act.

I have one hive, where the queen seems to be breeding drones for the county, that has masses of mites and after 4 treatments, I'm still getting big drops, days after the last treatment. On the bright side, I have killed over 3200 mites in 6 weeks.

CVB



p.s. I've just done a count after yesterday's 5th treatment and 489 mites popped their clogs in 1 day - what's going on?

Alcohol wash is the best test I know of. I had a very low drop off and lost around 30 hives in 2014, I think something was eating the varroa on the board. 3200 is massive I think I'd be doing a drone cull along with the treatment.

 

[mazzamazda]

That is a shame, why can you not use a vaporizer ? , is it some kind of law in your part of the world.

I'ts just not possible with apiaries of around 40 hives each, at least 80kms apart, 4 times every 5 days, impossible workload. Amitraz all the way, cheaper and way more effective too.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Christ, that must take some counting!

Well, not normally! My monitoring board is set out in 3" squares. The day after a treatment I count each square and add then up. After that I count each row and add them up. In the normal course of events, when there is not a problem, it's easy to count say 20 mites dropped over a week without splitting up the board into sections.

Counting mites isn't for everybody but it beats watching Eastenders!

CVB

 

[Erichalfbee]

p.s. I've just done a count after yesterday's 5th treatment and 489 mites popped their clogs in 1 day - what's going on?

Are you seeing any deformed wings?
I got just the same thing last year. I vaped four then five times and got astronomical drops. I lost that one over the winter with typical signs of PMS.
I can only presume that they were getting re-infested by somebody else's collapsing colonies.