Has anyone used this?

[Bakerbee]

Hi all,
Has anyone used this before? I use apiguard for autumn treatment , 2nd trays in as I type. But I'm wondering about mid winter treatment. I only have 2 hives atm and don't want to go the expense of OX vape kit. I usually do a trickle but hate having to measure and mix. I'm looking for a pre made solution I could treat with. Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks

 

[madasafish]

I think we have been here before:
NO list of ingredients
Unapproved. (or it would say so)
"eliminates 100% of varroa"

It is illegal, makes claims which are impossible, says it is "organic" but no list of ingredients. A key warning sign!

It's a scam. Or it is doing its best to resemble one.
There are other words to describe it but they are unsuitable for a public forum.

 

[Markthebuilder]

I haven’t. But wouldn’t wast my money on any product that didn’t list the ingredients or tell me how the product was supposed to work..

If I you suggested mashing up bananas with rubbarb then soaking it in water before spraying it on you bees. I would be Abel to find more info on why it might work.

thorns and others , do a ready mixed Approved product if you wish to dribble without the mixing.

 

[Ian123]

If you want pre mixed use apibixal

 

[Bakerbee]

Thanks for a concise reply without sarcasm Ian123.
Thanks Madasafish I thought as much but just wondered.

 

[Tony Slater]

Buckfast Abbey apiary currently uses VarroMed, a premixed mixture of oxalic and formic acids, for trickling.

 

[Bakerbee]

Hi Tony yes that ones on my list to look into. I've sent VarroaTreatment.co.uk an email on there questions section asking for an ingredients list and why it is not readily available on their site. Let's see if I get a reply. I prefer to but something through Thornes as they are a reputable company but do keep my eye out for new products, and this caught my eye, I just wondered if anyone had used or seen it.

 

[Pembroke]

I've never used the trickle method. Why open up the hives in the dead of winter thus letting all that carefully produced heat out, to treat bees that should have already been treated when the hive was closed up for the winter?

Does anyone do any sort of testing (sugar roll?) to see if there's actually a problem before doing the trickle? Also isn't whatever trickle you use a cold liquid? How would you feel if someone invited you outside from your warm home in December then dumped a bucket of cold water over you?

 

[user 20297]

I've never used the trickle method. Why open up the hives in the dead of winter thus letting all that carefully produced heat out, to treat bees that should have already been treated when the hive was closed up for the winter?

Does anyone do any sort of testing (sugar roll?) to see if there's actually a problem before doing the trickle? Also isn't whatever trickle you use a cold liquid? How would you feel if someone invited you outside from your warm home in December then dumped a bucket of cold water, sticky strong acid solution over you?

 

[Boston Bees]

I've never used the trickle method. Why open up the hives in the dead of winter thus letting all that carefully produced heat out, to treat bees that should have already been treated when the hive was closed up for the winter?

Does anyone do any sort of testing (sugar roll?) to see if there's actually a problem before doing the trickle? Also isn't whatever trickle you use a cold liquid? How would you feel if someone invited you outside from your warm home in December then dumped a bucket of cold water over you?

OA trickle is something that is really only practiced by the old crusties these days.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've never used the trickle method. Why open up the hives in the dead of winter thus letting all that carefully produced heat out, to treat bees that should have already been treated when the hive was closed up for the winter?

Does anyone do any sort of testing (sugar roll?) to see if there's actually a problem before doing the trickle? Also isn't whatever trickle you use a cold liquid? How would you feel if someone invited you outside from your warm home in December then dumped a bucket of cold water over you?

Notwithstanding opinions on the uses of different methods of treatment doesn't it occur to you to warm the trickle fluid?

 

[Tony Slater]

In late December, remove what little brood there is and then vape oxalic acid. You’ll unlikely need any further treatment for a year.

 

[Ian123]

I've never used the trickle method. Why open up the hives in the dead of winter thus letting all that carefully produced heat out, to treat bees that should have already been treated when the hive was closed up for the winter?

Does anyone do any sort of testing (sugar roll?) to see if there's actually a problem before doing the trickle? Also isn't whatever trickle you use a cold liquid? How would you feel if someone invited you outside from your warm home in December then dumped a bucket of cold water over you?

Opening a hive to do a trickle doesn’t do any lasting harm. You’ll not find any of the oxalic trickle research that suggests any issues due to opening hives, and some of us have been doing it for 20 years with no ill effects. It’s an old chestnut that keeps getting repeated. Trickling was never done as a stand alone treatment, it gives you a clean start for next season and knocks off anything picked up or missed in the autumn. Obviously vaping is now an option but when I first bleached woodit wasn’t. Nor was reliable info on broodless periods, so we opened hives and looked. I’ve kept an eye on all hives that had been opened during winter in addition to a opening for trickling. Only ever lost 1 due to a dlq. Suggesting opening hives if done considerately and a few ml of liquid is an issue is rubbish.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

trickle is something that is really only practiced by the old crusties these days.

It something that comes to us all with increasing age

 

[Amari]

In late December, remove what little brood there is and then vape oxalic acid. You’ll unlikely need any further treatment for a year.

What?!
Open up every hive in late December? Lift each frame out to check for brood (best to shake the bees off each frame in case you miss a couple of sealed cells?)??

 

[user 819]

What?!
Open up every hive in late December? Lift each frame out to check for brood (best to shake the bees off each frame in case you miss a couple of sealed cells?)??

All this because ratnicks played with them and the gullible follow the pied piper.

 

[Curly green finger's]

In late December, remove what little brood there is and then vape oxalic acid. You’ll unlikely need any further treatment for a year.

Why remove the brood, if there's any at all.? Would it be to not have to vape again?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why remove the brood, if there's any at all.? Would it be to not have to vape again?

Yes but Ratneiks recommended another vape a week? later.

 

[Ian123]

Why remove the brood, if there's any at all.? Would it be to not have to vape again?

Yes with winter oxalic use the idea to remove any small amount of brood was to prevent any hiding places. In particular with the trickle as multiple use is harmful to the bees. This idea did not come from the Sussex lot it’s simply rehashed.

 

[Patrick1]

This products claims are illegal under the terms of the VMD and should not be used in the UK, to claim to treat varroa a treatment has to go through at least 2 years of studies and approvals the cost to the manufacturer is estimated by maqs manufactures is around 200K hence the reason the UK will be losing more products over the next few years such as Apiguard in 3kg tubs, CertanB401 and I am sure others have gone the same way , the market in the UK is just not big enough to warrant the costs.