If this was your bee, what would you do?

[BeeJayBee]

I'm not ignoring the other replies, it's just a bit difficult to reply to each one without appearing to write an essay.

It's an interesting discussion too, it would be mean to stop it in its tracks

If the multi-treatment of oxalic acid was used, what strength is used?

Or is it better/worse, safer, more sensible/foolish, to get hold of some HiveClean, Varroaguard or similar other product such as that German one with the name I've forgotten?

I saw on a chart on Dave Cushman's site that there is an option to 'spray' with Oxalic Acid in the Spring http://www. dave - cushman .net /bee/varroatreatment.html but couldn't find an explanation or description.

The diagram also suggests two "crisis points" - one late February, the other end Aug/beginning Sept.

.... If it was my colony I would treat with OA now, despite the possible presence of some brood. The OA will kill a small percentage of open brood but given there is probably not much brood anyway this not a problem.

Would a vaporiser be a good idea, if I can get hold of one? It really would be very difficult, and quite time consuming, to take off the fondant.

... Do not rely on the shook swarm killing off all the varroa -

The shook swarm had already been advised because these bees came from an EFB suspect area, and have moved into an area where there was also an outbreak last year. It's to make sure that, if they make it through the next couple of months, they start the season on new comb, although getting rid of a few more varroa would be an added bonus.

 

[Surreybeekeeper]

Would I be wrong in suggesting to try to analyse by closing up your open mesh floor (assuming you habe one) for a period of time to measure your true mite population and taking it from there as to the action required.

At least that way you may get an idea on the total hive problem rather than on just one bee?

James

 

[thurrock bees]

i would put a OMF on as soon as poss, then use some sugar ( icing) and dust them with it.

 

[mbc]

Not that long standing Rooftops, and i have dosed over 840 colonys with oxalic,but was interested in the comment by MBC,so assume if its the normal oxalic mix they are using, its doing no harm dosing at every inspection, being as they rely on bees for their living.

Mbc,you did say EVERY TIME they go into the bees,and the first doses are based on 12 twelve day inspections,athough 9 are better, from from the first ones in march when the bees are moved to the rape,until the start of august....plus obviously there are some more in the autumn.......how often do you do swarming checks on your bees? by the sounds of it a lot more than 12 days in between.

Perhaps I should have emphasized the "go into their bees" bit and explained this as less frequently than they visit the apiary. I dont think anyones under the impression that "its doing no harm dosing at every inspection," , I think its just seen as the lesser of two evils ( losing some brood and possibly worker bee longevity vs. increasingly damaging varroa loads).
I haven't tried this approach myself, and to be honest I dont fancy it while there's a honey flow on, but its a fact that thousands of colonies are being treated this way to my knowledge, with no issues regarding MRL's of oxalic in the honey either.
As to my own swarm inspections, they vary in frequency from every week to none at all depending on perceived likelihood of swarming and/or time availability dependant on the day job.

 

[Hombre]

i would put a OMF on as soon as poss, then use some sugar ( icing) and dust them with it.

I would look at the weather and decide to wait for a suitable window, before even considering doing anything.

It's either snowing outside at the moment or the rain is freezing. Just the time for considering a floor swap.

Wait for improved weather and give them a doze of Apiguard/thymol or use OA any time soon.

I am assuming that you did give them an OA treatment a month or so ago, perhaps you can confirm that? I haven't read all the thread this evening and have forgotten some of the detail.

 

[BeeJayBee]

We're working on making some open mesh floors, but at the moment they're on solid floors so counting is well nigh impossible.

We have only had these bees for about a month, and know about the risks of buying bees in winter. We're simply trying to do our best for them, and hoping they will make it through to March/April. We were told they were "Apiguard treated" and "feeded". They've eaten a heck of a lot of fondant, so we're guessing the varroa treatment may not have been particularly effective.

'Logic' tells me to take comfort in the, "It's only one or two mites, they'll cope." but ... then there's 'probability'. There were only half a dozen bees hanging around, one of only three pictures that ended up in focus showed what appears to be two mites on one bee. It's probable that there are quite a lot more mites in there that we haven't seen.

Fera suggests that if you see two mites per day at this time of year then there are around 400 you can't see. If the photos had shown mites on, say, 10 bees, the calculator suggests (for 10 mites in one day):-

... recommendation is Estimated number of adult varroa mites in the colony = 4000
Treatment is recommended as soon as practically possible.​

The calculator is on BeeBase
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm

 

[Skyhook]

It's because when you open up a hive and see varroa on bees it is almost invariably a sign that the mite levels have reached a critical stage.

In other words, if you see varroa on mites then it is possibly already too late. Which is why some of us reacted so strongly.

Fera suggests that if you see two mites per day at this time of year then there are around 400 you can't see. If the photos had shown mites on, say, 10 bees, the calculator suggests (for 10 mites in one day):-

... recommendation is Estimated number of adult varroa mites in the colony = 4000
Treatment is recommended as soon as practically possible.​

The calculator is on BeeBase
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm

Given that, I would be in there with oxalic NOW!

.

 

[For want of a better word]

VAROX the manufacturer of the oxalic vaporiser have a you tube video
The suggestion is out there in the literature it can be used anytime but is most effective when the colony is without brood.
Hiveclean was suggested to me as an organic treatment for DWV ?