DWV after apiguard

[Minxpinx]

I'm just coming to the end of treating my colonies with Apiguard. There have been low levels of varroa drop all season, but I decided to treat anyway. Since treating I have noticed a total of 4 bees with DWV outside one hive. This is a very strong colony, with brood over 8 frames and they are busy foraging on ivy at the moment.
Please can I have some advice - I'm not sure if I should be worried or not! Is there now anything I can do?
Thank you

 

[Erichalfbee]

You've done all you can at present. What has the drop been during treatment?

 

[Cazza]

Please can I have some advice - I'm not sure if I should be worried or not! Is there now anything I can do?
Thank you

Nothing to be done, just make sure they are winter ready.
70% od colonies with varroa will have DWV. Managing the varroa is the key as colonies can live with DWV, it's the combination of DWV and unmanaged varroa that's the killer.

Cazza
P.S In looking up the stats I found £40 in my bee records book. No idea how it got there so cheers!!!!

 

[Minxpinx]

The drop wasn't huge, around 150 for the whole time.

 

[oliver90owner]

4 bees with DWVmeans just that.

Just think for one moment and you might realise these infected pupae might well have been around cloe to the start ofthe treatment.

Any DWV should ring alarm bells but jumping to any conclusion with 4 infected bees in perhaps 30 000 (is not a high percentage). Alarm bells, yes but that is all. The new bees now being processed should be healthier than formerly. ? Varroa need not be a particular problem - a nuisance, yes.

Overwintering infected bees is the biggest3st problem of colony survival, IMO.

 

[itma]

Just make sure you do an Oxalic treatment between St Ambrose's Day and the start of the New Year.

It might be, for whatever reason, that the previous treatment wasn't as effective as it might have been. And the previous and current infestation is higher than you suspect. Oxalic would sort that, but the colony may not be as strong as you think it is - so be prepared to offer TLC (protein patties, water and fondant) later on.
Insulation is good too.

The virus is present in damn nigh all colonies, but actual visible symptoms (deformed wings and abdomens) indicates a rather higher than usual amount of the virus in the colony - which generally would be due to excessive varroa.
If there have been excessive varroa in the past, it takes quite a while for the virus level to fall - even killing every last mite today would leave virus in the colony.

 

[Minxpinx]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I'll keep a close eye on them and be ready with tlc.

 

[Minxpinx]

I just had a quick look through this hive again today and there were perhaps 100 bees with DWV. Now I'm worried. Some of the sick bees also had visible varroa mites on them. Is it worth putting some maq strips on now as I have already treated with apiguard?
I'm feeling gloomy about the future of this colony, any advice will be gladly received.

 

[Hivemaker.]

any advice will be gladly received.

Sublimate with oxalic acid three times, five days apart, or stick in a couple of Apivar strips.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The drop wasn't huge, around 150 for the whole time.

That's worrying considering your subsequent posts. I wonder if the apiguard was at fault? Did you close the floor off?

I agree with Hivemaker.
You should give Robert Thurlow a ring at Bridge Vets to get some Apivar (unless there is another way of getting it.

 

[Minxpinx]

That's worrying considering your subsequent posts. I wonder if the apiguard was at fault? Did you close the floor off?

I did close the floor, this colony is in a beehaus so I wedged it right up against the mesh floor. The hive is big, so perhaps the apiguard doesn't get around it all? Do people who use Dartington hives have this issue?

It is so sad to see such a formally strong colony going down hill fast.

 

[itma]

I did close the floor, this colony is in a beehaus so I wedged it right up against the mesh floor. The hive is big, so perhaps the apiguard doesn't get around it all? Do people who use Dartington hives have this issue?

Beehaus. Thymol based treatment.
That reminds me … http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31602&highlight=beehaus

 

[Minxpinx]

Beehaus. Thymol based treatment.
That reminds me … http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31602&highlight=beehaus

Hmmm
Thanks for posting this - I missed it first time round.
Perhaps I should have put in some insulated dummy boards rather than the rubbishy ones that come with the hive. That would at least help keep the vapour around the bees a bit more. I have my frames arranged in the middle of the hive.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I think there's a general problem with thymol under-treatment. The Queen is the last one to suffer so the risks of overtreatment are minimal. My view is that if you have symptoms and little drop. you need to increase the dose.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Sublimate with oxalic acid three times, five days apart, or stick in a couple of Apivar strips.