How quickly to treat with OA

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Big ears

House Bee
Joined
Jul 26, 2021
Messages
104
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Location
Kerrier, Kernow
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
8
Caught a swarm yesterday and hives last night. Want to treat with sublimated OA.
when should I do it? Now and in 5 days or wait a couple of days d for then to settle?
Wet day today so lots at home😂

thanks,

BE
 
Caught a swarm yesterday and hives last night. Want to treat with sublimated OA.
when should I do it? Now and in 5 days or wait a couple of days d for then to settle?
Wet day today so lots at home😂

thanks,

BE

I personally wouldn't in the first week - they are just getting settled in and you might persuade them this new home isn't good.

You just need to do it before the first cells are capped. Even if you have given them drawn comb, that won't take place until day 9. If you have given them foundation (and/or if the queen is a virgin) then it will be several days later
 
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I personally wouldn't in the first week - they are just getting settled in and you might persuade them this new home isn't good.

You just need to do it before the first cells are capped. Even if you have given them drawn comb, that won't take place until day 9. If you have given them foundation (and/or if the queen is a virgin) then it will be several days later
Thanks. Will one treatment be enough?
 
Though if they are all in the hive, it's a bit better? Or would the number of varroa on foraging bees be minimal anyway?
they will get a dusting of OA when they return to the hive regardless
I vape from below the OMF, so no need to block the entrance to stop them frying, I gave up blocking the entrances years ago
 
Oxalic will work for some time after the vape itself
in fact it only start working after the vape - when the desublimated micro crystals settle on the bees and the hive parts.
People have got obsessed with this 'OA is a gas' nonsense - as soon as it hits colder air it reverts to a solid, the white clouds you see are clouds of microcrystals not gas. gas takes no part in the process of killing mites - or beekeepers 🤭
 
Though if they are all in the hive, it's a bit better? Or would the number of varroa on foraging bees be minimal anyway?
That was my thought. However today is a lovely cold Cornish Mizzle day so they are all inside anyway😁
 
they will get a dusting of OA when they return to the hive regardless
I vape from below the OMF, so no need to block the entrance to stop them frying, I gave up blocking the entrances years ago
So using a gasvap placed under the floor will work as well as from above?
 
So using a gasvap placed under the floor will work as well as from above?
never used those Heath Robinson things, but even doing it from above, you don't need to block the entrance as you are still not stuffing it in anywhere near
 
Caught a swarm yesterday and hives last night. Want to treat with sublimated OA.
when should I do it? Now and in 5 days or wait a couple of days d for then to settle?
Wet day today so lots at home😂

thanks,

BE
When i could sort myself out when i took off the QE and starting feeding on day 3 i did it then as it made my life easy re one visit. A swarm containing 75% of the adult bees in the hive would therefore also leave with somewhere between 11% and 37% of the Varroa from the colony. Swarm and mite partitioning - The Apiarist
 
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