Best varroa treatment

[Rock_Chick]

I just discovered diformed wing in one of the hives, I was going to treat all 4 hives in January with ox acid, which strips would be best to use at this time of year,on a thinking they need to be left in 4-6 weeks ? A bit worried about opening up if in cluster to take the strips out again ?
Any help and advice greatful

 

[user 6228]

I just discovered diformed wing in one of the hives, I was going to treat all 4 hives in January with ox acid, which strips would be best to use at this time of year,on a thinking they need to be left in 4-6 weeks ? A bit worried about opening up if in cluster to take the strips out again ?
Any help and advice greatful

how many ? One bee does not make a Varroa plague or even prove the the existence of varroa

 

[Hivemaker.]

Apivar.

 

[Rock_Chick]

how many ? One bee does not make a Varroa plague or even prove the the existence of varroa

More then 10 I stoped counting + varroa on bees,
So it's bayvarol or apivar

 

[Erichalfbee]

More then 10 I stoped counting + varroa on bees,
So it's bayvarol or apivar

Neither Bayvarol nor Apistan.
Apivar strips

 

[itma]

Neither Bayvarol nor Apistan.
Apivar strips

And not ApilifeVar either!

Apivar.
They aren't generally on sale in the UK, but can be obtained. (Search the forum for leads)
So its very unlikely indeed that your mites would be resistant - yet.

The time for treatment is earlier. And that means checking for mites much earlier and more often.

 

[Rock_Chick]

OK Thanks for info,
I'm normally on the ball with varroa, this colony took me by surprise. Didn't seem to be getting to much drop on checks,may be I could do with glasses

 

[Erichalfbee]

Try the Beevet

 

[Rock_Chick]

Try the Beevet

sorted

 

[BrianO]

Why no MAQS recommendations ?
1strip for 1 week ??

 

[Hivemaker.]

Why no MAQS recommendations ?
1strip for 1 week ??

Not effective enough, and bit risky at this time of year.

 

[BrianO]

Ok, even 1 Strip ?

 

[galileo]

One strip probably wouldn't do enough good to offset the risk of a failed supercedure attempt in the event the colony takes against their Queen.

 

[BeeJayBee]

One strip probably wouldn't do enough good ...

Probably only a 75% knockdown, and overnight temperatures are a bit low now.

Apivar works at lower temperatures.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Agreed, at this time of year - Apivar is a good bet.
I used it later than this last year on one of my colonies. The hive dropped well over 3000 varroa mites but come this year, it was one of my strongest colonies.
I think that it helped that it was quite a mild winter so the bees were still pretty mobile and therefore still spreading the active ingredient around.

 

[BrianO]

OK ... I have a lot to learn yet !

One strip probably wouldn't do enough good to offset the risk of a failed supercedure attempt in the event the colony takes against their Queen.

Don't fully understand this statement, well not in the context of the time of year we are at, as I thought that was the case of my bees now ( as I saw yesterday in one hive through the entrance ) they would be going into / already in their winter cluster given the onset of cold conditions.

Would there be thoughts of supercedure at this late juncture ?

 

[itma]

Brian, here we have a colony with a much bigger problem than yours, later in the season (and the weather has changed to a different pattern).

In these circumstances, the more expensive and harder to come by (thus more rarely used) treatment (which the mites will develop resistance to if repeated) is probably the better bet in this instance - because it is less temperature dependant.

This colony's survival is in some doubt, with lots of deformed bees having been seen.
Which justifies unusual measures. Even a pesticide chemical.

Apivar isn't commonly used in the UK, not least because it is not UK approved, but, having been authorised elsewhere in the EU, it can be prescribed by vets. Which is how the system has to be worked. // And I'm afraid I am presuming that a similar approach has to be taken in Eire …

 

[Gilberdyke John]

One strip probably wouldn't do enough good to offset the risk of a failed supercedure attempt in the event the colony takes against their Queen.

Would vaporised OA be effective under these circumstances?

 

[midnight sun]

Would vaporised OA be effective under these circumstances?

For some reason this late September, I had a fairly high count in one hive even though I used a full treatment of apigard following the appropriate instructions.
I did a treatment 2 weeks later with OA vaporiser and had a 'large' instant drop then several much smaller drops as per expectation. No brood or Queen loss. No adverse reaction on the hive.
So, I would say that you would be fairly safe with a treatment now. As long as you keep the treatment to the instructions. I find this method of varroa treatment effective, simple and ideal, as treatment time is not dragged out.
Some may not agree, but that is their opinion. Just sharing my thoughts on this. Regards