icing sugar

[Heather]

What are your thoughts on icing sugar dusting to remove varroa. I am concerned about the bees taking up to pollute the honey quality.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What are your thoughts on icing sugar dusting

Apart from being a total waste of time as far as varroa control is concerned?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What are your thoughts on icing sugar dusting to remove varroa. I am concerned about the bees taking up to pollute the honey quality.

Icing sugar does knock down varroa as evidenced by the sugar roll method of estimating mite loads.
But for it to be effective you have to dust the bees as liberally as you do in your testing which means taking every frame out and shaking icing sugar over all the bees AND you have to do it weekly AND the sugar damages open brood.
JBM is spot on. The best place for icing sugar at this time of year is on your Christmas cake.

 

[Heather]

Agree, but we have a member advocating it and using excessive amounts but selling the honey and I am concerned.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Agree, but we have a member advocating it and using excessive amounts but selling the honey and I am concerned.

Tell him it will be in his supers and you’ll make trading standards aware.

 

[Beefriendly]

Plus using icing sugar to excess (or any other sugar) you will end up with adulterated honey.
As a method of varroa control it's the pants.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

and it also clogs the bees' spiracles

 

[Heather]

I know, and will proceed to check, but may cause ructions and I like a quiet life.. but need to protect ourselves legally too ..
Bloody bee keepers!!
But your replies give me confidence to crack on. thanks

 

[For want of a better word]

Is not ApiBioxall just Icing Sugar and Oxalic Acid so would that also get into the honey and contaminate it.

On another tack seems that Thornes have acquired Quince's Honey Farm up the road a bit from me, just a more difficult route to navigate than National Bee Supplies which is now owned by Sutton's Seeds

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is not ApiBioxall just Icing Sugar and Oxalic Acid so would that also get into the honey and contaminate it.

No, it's plain sugar, OA and a sprinkling of magic fairy dust, also, unlike the clown in Heather's association who is advocating dousing the colony with icing sugar weekly throughout the season, Apibioxial is applied in a tiny quantity in winter and, as well as probably being immediately consumed by the bees should have been cleared out by the bees during the spring buildup

 

[Heather]

Otherwise she is a good beekeeper, done all the exams going, and more knowledgeable than me .. maybe can persuade this person to treat less often, because I just do an Oxalic treatment in Dec and my bees seem fine.
By the way am trying the new gasvap equipment this year.. seems fine and I don't have to lug a battery around to vaporise.

 

[For want of a better word]

No, it's plain sugar, OA and a sprinkling of magic fairy dust, also, unlike the clown in Heather's association who is advocating dousing the colony with icing sugar weekly throughout the season, Apibioxial is applied in a tiny quantity in winter and, as well as probably being immediately consumed by the bees should have been cleared out by the bees during the spring buildup

Our Master Beekeeper advocated sprinkling a whole packet over the bees once a week at 9 day intervals four times to get rid of varroa, and everyone in our little group of beginners seems to hang on to his every word.

My bees are out flying today and seem to be bringing in yellow pollen, possibly from a Marhonia bush in the National Trust gardens

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Otherwise she is a good beekeeper, done all the exams going,

Almost an oxymoron in my experience - and an indicator as to where the problem lies
As a very respected, experienced and learned beekeeper once said to me - no good spending all your time with your nose in a book unless you spend even more time with your nose in a hive

 

[For want of a better word]

Otherwise she is a good beekeeper, done all the exams going, and more knowledgeable than me .. maybe can persuade this person to treat less often, because I just do an Oxalic treatment in Dec and my bees seem fine.
By the way am trying the new gasvap equipment this year.. seems fine and I don't have to lug a battery around to vaporise.

Sounds like our Master Beekeeper seems to have a lot of certificates, and has an answer for every question, perhaps I should offer to teach him to fly?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Otherwise she is a good beekeeper, done all the exams going, and more knowledgeable than me.

Ahhhh there’s your answer, except the last five words maybe.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Tried icing sugar dusting on one of my first colonies and gave up. It did knock back the mite drop but not very efficiently so they recover and you have to do it again. Think I was using 125g, 3-4 times 4-5 days apart. Time consuming.

Dumping in a load of sugar in the brood box they get driven down the comb and look pretty miserable. It must destroy the environment they have worked for in the hive. So invasive.

I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have a read of Randy Oliver’s take on this http://scientificbeekeeping.com/pow...weet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/

 

[Parsonage Bees]

This association isn't very far from you, Heather;

http://www.brightonlewesbeekeepers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Icing-sugar-dusting-Jan-2015.pdf

 

[Poly Hive]

Highly educated but needs education.

PH

 

[fatshark]

Our Master Beekeeper advocated sprinkling a whole packet over the bees once a week at 9 day intervals four times to get rid of varroa, and everyone in our little group of beginners seems to hang on to his every word.

My bees are out flying today and seem to be bringing in yellow pollen, possibly from a Marhonia bush in the National Trust gardens

Api-Bioxal or icing sugar?

Whichever, it's terrible advice.

Beginners should be taught how you can guarantee to keep your bees healthy and successfully overwinter them (hint - monitor and treat ... using an approved miticide and follow the instructions).

Let them get their confidence this way before trying things a different way (if they must).

What proportion of beginners give up in frustration after a season or two after being taught this sort of nonsense and consequently losing their bees in the winter?