high varroa levels

[Welshsteve]

HI I have a large colony which still fills a brood box and two supers at the end of Sept. I am in 5th week of apiguard treatment and still getting very high daily mite drops of up to 40 mites a day. Worried I hAve undertreated using 1tray at a time? Should I continue with apigard, or possibly use a different treatment? Any advice gratefully received. Thanks

 

[itma]

"High" drops during treatment are actually a sign thatit is (still) working. 40/day isn't colossal during treatment (even towards what should be the end).

If you are concerned (since it doesn't sound like you need to be rushing to feed), and the current Apiguard tray is nearly empty, then the simple thing ought to be to simply add another tray and continue for a few more weeks.

BTW, what is the current hive arrangement? (QX, supers, Apiguard & eke …)




My other concern would be those two supers. (They shouldn't be needing two at this point …)
What winter arrangement are you planning, and how/when do you intend to get there?

 

[Welshsteve]

Thanks Itma I will buy another tray of apiguard. I intended to overwinter on a brood and a half but the bees fill all of the frames in both and wouldn't fit! so I have added a nadir and then put the QE on top of the eke at the top of the hive; so from bottom up nadir, broodbox, halfbroodbox, eke QE Then crownboard. The nadir has a fair amount of capped honey in it so I thought the extra stores wouldn't harm things
Thanks

 

[itma]

Not sure why nobody else has come up with lots of different suggestions. (It doesn't mean I've nailed the one right answer - there isn't one!)


Two other comments from me.
- QX should come right out and be cleaned up over winter. Some people do store them above the crownboard, not least as a place to put the thing and to keep a particular one with each hive.
- "Crownboard" - if its a typical 'standard' version, it comes with holes. Closing them improves Apiguard treatment effectiveness. (And its a good idea generally - see lots of threads here on ventilation and Kingspan/Celotex.)

 

[Welshsteve]

MAny thanks Itma really helpful.advice

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't think adding another tray for another fortnight would make much difference if the volume was too large (which IMHO I don't think it is) - As ITMA - whereabouts in this permutation of supers and broods did you put the apiguard tray?

 

[Welshsteve]

I placed the first tray on top of the main brood box frames ( using an eke) so between the brood and a half.
Then placed the second tray on top of the half broodbox at the top of the hive.
Thanks