Dead Hives

[Hivemaker.]

I wonder, then, whether the effect may be extrapolated to vapour? Hmmmm

I don't know, be nice if it did, but I am happy with oxalic vapor just as a varroa control method, Nosema ceranae is easily prevented by thymol in feed.
CBPV is of more interest really, would like to know of a guaranteed effective cure for that, being as it is causing some serious losses in this country now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've been using HM's emulsion for years - if nothing else, it hasn't done them any harm and the overall benefits seem worth the little bit of a fiddle making the stuff.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've been using HM's emulsion for years -

Same here...maybe not years but since I joined this forum, anyway

 

[Benodale]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I haven't been able to take any pictures yet, but I will endeavour to do so.

To answer some of your questions. No living bees are present it either hive. I didn't treat for Varroa in the autumn. I added sheep's wool insulation above the hives early winter, but I didn't raise the crown board.

My feeling from your advice is that perhaps they were weaker than I thought going into autumn and that varroa and nosema weakened them further. I get the impression an autumn treatment should have definitely been applied and perhaps I should have considered combining them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I didn't treat for Varroa in the autumn.

I treated them both with Oxalic Acid in January.

I have read that doing this is becoming the new trend, by reading these forums, and from other quarters, there seems to be another trend arising as a result of the first, in many cases.

 

[Poly Hive]

FWIW I have treated with Oxalic in Jan for the last 8 years.

In 2014 I was adding drone foundation to boost the drone population for my queen rearing.

Out of curiosity as I honestly don't monitor varroa I randomly sampled drone brood whether in the combs I provided or from normal drone brood and to my frankly astonishment not a varroa could I find. The attraction rate was supposed to be 8x worker brood so it stands to reason I should have spotted at least one?

There was also a bee tree some 600m from the apiary and as far as I could tell it survived winter after winter as I syped it carefully every spring including this one and yep alive every time. I took at least three swarms off them and so their drones have influenced the matings.

Whether there was some sort of resistance building up I have no idea but them what bought the bees might like to keep an eye out.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

I didn't treat for Varroa in the autumn.
.....................................................I get the impression an autumn treatment should have definitely been applied and perhaps I should have considered combining them.

I've lost a colony to Varroa by delaying my autumn treatment and I'm an experienced beekeeper....obviously not experienced enough. It's bloody awful when you realise you could have prevented it. Don't beat yourself up about it and learn from it and don't do it again.

 

[philipm]

Yes I use Hivemakers Thymol mix as well even tried some myself by accident, At least I won't get Nosema !!!!