Hive clean

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Dave /Oscroft

House Bee
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Location
Oscroft Cheshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
9 at present
Does anyone use the product "Hive Clean" how is it best to use it ? at each inspection or just like oxalic acid once every generation.

Cheers
Dave W
 
Hi Dave
I use this instead of oxalic and when mite build up is too great, not every inspection. It works well without any noticeable negative effects on the bees.
Cazza
 
Every week. I am very new at this having acquired bees only six weeks ago and have only the advice from my mentor, my BKA, and from here to go on.
 
From Package instructions
"How and When to Apply
BEEVITAL® HIVE CLEAN applied before the reproduction period (before Dec 24th and beginning of January), will result in significant increase if the growth of your bees.

Feb/Mar/Apr - when bees start collecting pollen, up to 20 ml

May/June - during intensive growth of the bee colony, up to 20ml

July/Aug - during honey harvesting, up to 15ml

BEEVITAL HIVE CLEAN applied before Sept 1st helps the bees to survive winter and makes them stronger.

Nov/Dec/Jan - depending on the conditions and temperatures (lowest temperature in which it may be applied is -5 C but most effective in temperatures of +5 C and more) should be applied on a hibernated group of bees, up to 15ml.

An important factor of the effectiveness of BEEVITAL HIVE CLEAN is to apply it at least once when the Queen has stopped laying (Autumn to Spring).

Many beekeepers use HiveClean like a prophylactic, administering small doses whenever they open a hive. It must be remembered that you cannot overdose when using HiveClean."
 
Sounds to me like hive clean is not that effective, if you need to keep dosing the bee's with it every week,sooner treat a couple of times a year with something more effective.
Think HP's tweezers and hosepipe would be more effective....
 
Hive Clean

i'm only concerned that to much messin with chemicals, can be a bad thing,but this im told is natural stuff!:iamwithstupid: but if its only a few millileters each inspection then maybe thats ok. I intend to inspect every 7-8 days (but i'm only new to beekeeping) and only had my two nucs for a month or so. So thats only three inspections to date.
so any help will be appreciated.

cheers
Dave W (there also muck spreading here and the bees seem very exited, should I be worried, !!!!!!!!!!)
 
Hive clean contains oxalic acid amonst other things. So would the queen be better off with one normal oxalic acid trickle or many repeated doses of hiveclean over a very long period. As it says it can be used every time you open the hive that can be a lot of doses of hiveclean.
 
This is where the net info turns to rubbish.

"I use it every inspection as does my assoc." Total of three inspections puts a rather different perspective on it.

All, if one product was the wonderchild I rather think we would have heard of it by now.

To the very best of my very limited information on Varroa, there is NO cure all wonder product that works, whether physical or chemical.

Sad but true.

I will continue to monitor and treat with Oxalic.

PH
 
I have used hiveclean. I did think it worked (monitored varroa drop). The main reason it works is that it contains oxalic acid. It is a very expensive method of varroa control however. Drone culling is free. Thymol and winter oxalic acid are cheap.
 
I have used hiveclean. I did think it worked (monitored varroa drop). The main reason it works is that it contains oxalic acid. It is a very expensive method of varroa control however. Drone culling is free. Thymol and winter oxalic acid are cheap.

We bought in a nuc in April which had been hive cleaned twice before sale. Complete waste of time. We had DWV within a couple of weeks and a high count on a drone brood count. No wing issues now...
 
That's why we practice integrated varroa management or whatever Fera are calling it now. I would not recommend just use of hiveclean.
 
That's why we practice integrated varroa management or whatever Fera are calling it now. I would not recommend just use of hiveclean.

Quite....they've had thymol/essential oiled strings, two drone brood treatments and icing sugar since - but they'll still need Sept/Dec treatments. Not the most hygienic bees these!
 
If you are looking to develop resistance to a product, the best way is to provide small quantities on a regular basis. Doh! oh thats what everyone is doing.

Adam
 
I can't see why you'd want or need to use Hiveclean many times in a year. It doesn't make any sense to dose hives with any chenical, natural or not, every time you open up?
As PART of IVM it works fine for me.
Cazza
 
I've seen a bloke on you tube drinking it lol, I dont think the amount of oxalic acid in it is high, so it could be used on every inspection. Its supposed to get the bees to clean themselves & irritate the mites so they fall off. I would like to know the amounts of ingredients in it, then maybe we could have an idea of how affective it is. Does anyone know?
 

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