Hive Clean

[kazmcc]

My mentor didn't treat with OA in January, he want's to use Hive Clean at the end of Feb. The bees are out and look well, they are bringing back pollen and considering other posts have had the normal amounts of dead, less if anything. I've had a good look at the ones flying in and out and they look healthy, no deformity, no poo splashes anywhere. They seem active, healthy bees to my inexperienced eye. I'm just a little concerned about us not using what the majority of experienced beeks use. Anybody know anything about it? My mentor reckons it's better than OA.

 

[Hivemaker.]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5579

 

[kazmcc]

doh! Thanks Hivemaker. I forget about the search box lol, just used to jumping on in there

 

[stilllearning]

looks like it contains oxalic acid anyway along with a few others, probably a weaker solution and at around ten quid for 500ml (18 pound from maize moor) no wonder the manufacturers recommend to use it adlib lol !!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Kaz, have you looked at the mite drop recently?

 

[kazmcc]

No, he didn't give us the tray that goes with the OMF. The school were supposed to find something that would fit, but they never got round to it, and I've been very ill. I would love to have a nosey around what comes out of the mesh. Now I'm back on my feet I'll find something myself.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Thanks Kaz,was just interested in the present mite numbers, after treating them last autumn with apilife-var, and the mesh floor being left open during treatment..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Kaz a piece of corrugated cardboard would do, flutes left to right rather than front to back. Tape some white paper smeared in Vaseline on it so that any mites dropping get stuck fast. Good luck and hope you're feeling better.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks guys, I'll measure up today and cut it down tonight, unless someone knows the measurements of a tray on here. We are using nationals, but I'm not sure of the dimesions of the OMF tray

 

[nonstandard]

I collect old discarded estate agents signs (the corex ones) to make my varroa trays, if I'm lucky they are double skinned and therefore plain on one side.

smear with vaseline or spray with cooking oil leave in for 1 week and enter your count here

varroa calculator

 

[kazmcc]

I collect old discarded estate agents signs (the corex ones) to make my varroa trays, if I'm lucky they are double skinned and therefore plain on one side.

smear with vaseline or spray with cooking oil leave in for 1 week and enter your count here

varroa calculator

Thank you! How do you count them if there's loads? lol, another one of my daft questions I know but what if they are everywhere :O

 

[nonstandard]

If there are loads you need to treat ASAP the calculator will tell you that, basically if there are too many to count you need to do something.

I left the trays in both hives for a month during the cold snap pre-Christmas and in one the count was 6 and the other was 75, I ran that through the calculator and it advised to treat immediately; I then applied Oxalic acid in early January.

Both hives were treated with apiguard during sept/oct one hive shifted all of it but in the other hive most of it was left in the tray.

 

[kazmcc]

If there are loads you need to treat ASAP the calculator will tell you that, basically if there are too many to count you need to do something.

I left the trays in both hives for a month during the cold snap pre-Christmas and in one the count was 6 and the other was 75, I ran that through the calculator and it advised to treat immediately; I then applied Oxalic acid in early January.

Both hives were treated with apiguard during sept/oct one hive shifted all of it but in the other hive most of it was left in the tray.

I had a look at the calculator, and understand now. Thank you

 

[kazmcc]

If there are loads you need to treat ASAP the calculator will tell you that, basically if there are too many to count you need to do something.

I left the trays in both hives for a month during the cold snap pre-Christmas and in one the count was 6 and the other was 75, I ran that through the calculator and it advised to treat immediately; I then applied Oxalic acid in early January.

Both hives were treated with apiguard during sept/oct one hive shifted all of it but in the other hive most of it was left in the tray.

I had a look at the calculator, and understand now. Thank you

 

[rowbow]

I use hive clean every other inspection, I did use icing sugar, but it attracts ant's, in September I used apiguard the full treatment, thymolized syrup for winter feed.
After the apiguard treatment only 1 or 2 mite's on the board, it's now mid Feb all hives flying, bee's nice and shiny, no poo, pollen coming in, all looks well, have given them fondant just in case, and it gives them something to do when it rains

John

 

[kazmcc]

I use hive clean every other inspection, I did use icing sugar, but it attracts ant's, in September I used apiguard the full treatment, thymolized syrup for winter feed.
After the apiguard treatment only 1 or 2 mite's on the board, it's now mid Feb all hives flying, bee's nice and shiny, no poo, pollen coming in, all looks well, have given them fondant just in case, and it gives them something to do when it rains

John

That sounds just like ours. We gave them some fondant in Jan, but they hadn't touched the last lot and had lots still stored. They are looking good Nice healthy bees they look to me Going to do the tray thing still, and bug my mentor to come and use the HC quick

 

[CB008]

Thank you! How do you count them if there's loads? lol, another one of my daft questions I know but what if they are everywhere :O

I have used Hiveclean extensively as a swarm I took in has a serious varroa problem, which I did not spot as a total newbie, which then led to a nasty case of DWV. It was too early to use Api. It definitely works to an extent as it kept my colony alive until I put the Api on but it is more like a far more effective icing sugar treatment (which I tried but did not do the trick). If you dig around on their website their are some overseas traisl claiming great success rates but thsi is not what I found. Mine got treated weekly for about 8 weeks and it did clear a lot of mites in the first day or two but you have to keep repeating as new bees are born as most mites are in sealed brood. So, you need to use weekly and it helps a lot but it will not get rid of a severe infestation as only teh chemicals will do that is my take.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thank you! How do you count them if there's loads? lol, another one of my daft questions I know but what if they are everywhere :O

having drops last year of 400+ per week on one hive (a swarm), i almost count mites in my sleep

The way i count is to use the flat blade of hive tool to clear a section at a time systematically across the board, pushing all the debris off and counting each varroa as the blade touches a mite

if it is really heavy I tend to count a quarter of the board them estimate the rest just by the count x4

Kaz welcome back

, i thought you would not be on the forum this morning, as you would have too many Valentine cards to open

 

[Moggs]

Welcome back Kaz!

My mite counting method is to divide the board (paper) with a pencil line into several sections, depending on overall scale of mite drop. Then, with Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass in front of me (a deerstalker and pipe adds to the effect) take a fine-tipped permanent marker and circle as I go, working through a section at a time. The dividing lines help in avoiding duplicate counts.

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks for the tips everyone MM, I only got one, and that was from my kids heehee