Beekeeping Show 25th

[Erichalfbee]

for that price, you might as well burn fivers under the hive to keep them warm

This is a worry...... Why buy this without proper evidence that it's effective?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This is a worry...... Why buy this without proper evidence that it's effective?

plenty of people around who like to waste money on gimicky toys

 

[Erichalfbee]

plenty of people around who like to waste money on gimicky toys

It's because it's not regarded as a "treatment"
There is this drive you see in a lot of local associations to avoid treating the bees. I'm not talking about letting the bees develop resistance by selecting resistant stocks ....leave that alone ........but to my mind how you can regard the disruption caused by enforcing brood breaks, shook swarms, restricting the queen, sugar dusting as not a "treatment" is beyond me

 

[JohnRB]

This is a worry...... Why buy this without proper evidence that it's effective?

They have done 2 studies and it is on trial with 7 associations. They quoted 95-99% elimination rate. No indications of damage to brood. In fact they said they generally saw an immediate improvement in bee health and honey collection, they presume due to the decreased stress once varroa were gone.

I think the price (yes, assuming it works) is reasonable. People seem to think nothing to paying £300 for a vaporiser and battery.

According to the instructions on the back of Api-Bioxal (which I have just read), it says not to use during a honey flow. My specific case I'm thinking of is Spring or July, (in a flow) where you find you need to treat varroa. Without going through some complicated bio-mechanical process taking weeks, what would you use if MAQS isn't available?

 

[Ian123]

I looked and not entirely convinced and it’s expensive. I suggest the only people likely to use it are the couple of hive owners. I doubt anyone with more than a few in the garden will touch it with a barge pole and I guess that’s who it’s aimed at.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My specific case I'm thinking of is Spring or July, (in a flow) where you find you need to treat varroa. Without going through some complicated bio-mechanical process taking weeks, what would you use if MAQS isn't available?

remove the supers, vape, replace supers, takes less time than an inspection, definitely less disruption than taking the hive apart to insert hot water bottles.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They have done 2 studies and it is on trial with 7 associations

I would like to see that. Did they have the data available?

Without going through some complicated bio-mechanical process taking weeks, what would you use if MAQS isn't available?

I have never been in that position because I try very hard to be on top of varroa in a timely fashion.
If there WAS and emergency I would vape with the supers off, put supers back and keep the honey for myself

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think the price (yes, assuming it works) is reasonable

£2-300 a hive reasonable!?
I've got some magic beans surplus to requirements here if you want to buy some - I'll do you a good deal as a forum member

 

[Erichalfbee]

I looked and not entirely convinced and it’s expensive. I suggest the only people likely to use it are the couple of hive owners. I doubt anyone with more than a few in the garden will touch it with a barge pole and I guess that’s who it’s aimed at.

Yes...no harm in that. Just like the Smart Hive. I was itching to try one but I guess you have to be a famous celebrity YouTuber to get your hands on one. And talking of celebrities. How tall is Laurence? Towered above me!

 

[Ian123]

I would like to see that. Did they have the data available?

I have never been in that position because I try very hard to be on top of varroa in a timely fashion.
If there WAS and emergency I would vape with the supers off, put supers back and keep the honey for myself

As you say mid season treatment is rare if your on top of things!

 

[Erichalfbee]

£2-300 a hive reasonable!?

Yes but I know people who have two hives and spent £375 on an Instantvap. Hobbyists do .......

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes but I know people who have two hives and spent £375 on an Instantvap. Hobbyists do .......

I suppose they're swapping from the gasvape whilst they still have enough fingers left to count their money

 

[Erichalfbee]

Murray would have made a killing ...Waxed 14x12 frames for just over two quid! Thorne were selling ten sheets of foundation for £20

 

[Ian123]

The principal of heat treatment is not new and I think it’s proven to work. Some years ago there was some mobile oven thing that cooked the hive. Can’t remember what it was called but same principle.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Murray would have made a killing ...Waxed 14x12 frames for just over two quid! Thorne were selling ten sheets of foundation for £20

I must say I was taken with both the frames and the foundation. I'll be having a hard think about it when I've run down my current stock

 

[Erichalfbee]

The principal of heat treatment is not new and I think it’s proven to work. Some years ago there was some mobile oven thing that cooked the hive. Can’t remember what it was called but same principle.

How often would you have to do it? If it works and you have only a couple of hives it would make sense

 

[Ian123]

Guessing same as normal treatments 1 possibly 2 but I wouldn’t heat them up mid winter I wonder how long the bags work for or the reliability, I suppose plus side is if they fail they’ll likely under heat rather than cook everything.

 

[Ian123]

Just think the local associations will love it you can shook swarm them then cook them later in the season

 

[JohnRB]

£2-300 a hive reasonable!?
I've got some magic beans surplus to requirements here if you want to buy some - I'll do you a good deal as a forum member

No, you buy it once and then it is reusable as many times as you want. You recharge the pads by placing in boiling in water for 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours so I could do 2 hives a day for as long as I wanted. I agree it's probably aimed at the hobbyist with a few hives rather than the bee farmer.

I have 12 hives - I could treat them all twice a year for several years. Seems like over 3 years it would work out at less than £3 a treatment - reasonable?

If it works, whats not to like? It's chemical free, can be used at any time with no (apparent ill effects) and extremely quick.

I'm a Yorkshireman and a beekeeper - you'll have to find someone else to sell your magic beans to

 

[JohnRB]

On another note, it was treat to meet and chat with Jolanta (my secret beekeeping hero!). I have a couple of her queens, which have been some of the best I have ever had. When my wife started beekeeping 2 years ago, I started her with a Jolanta Queen (naturally called Queen Jolanta) and it has given her a great start.