Inspection tray

[Jonnyl]

Removed the tray after one week of apivar varroa treatment. I've read i shouldn't keep the tray in. Anyway, can you experienced beeks tell me what im looking at?

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[Beefriendly]

Bits of wax cappings removal debris, bits of bees, possibly some dropped pollen.
It's too low a resolution to say much else. You need some decent close up's.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Removed the tray after one week of apivar varroa treatment. I've read i shouldn't keep the tray in. Anyway, can you experienced beeks tell me what im looking at?
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Not many varroa for a start. That's good.
Is that inspection tray sticky?

 

[Jonnyl]

Great to hear, i was straining trying to see any but im not entirely sure what im looking for, anything resembling is my yardstick. It hasnt been treated but i read last night that i should smear vaseline on it and i will. I hosed it down and scraped it and waiting on it drying. I won't keep it in all the time now either, read that last night too.

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[Beefriendly]

I won't keep it in all the time now either, read that last night too.

What was the reason they gave for not keeping them in Jonnyl?
I keep mine in all winter and spring. They are poly hives with insulated type drop boards which essential make the floors solids for the winter. Helps with heat retention within the hive.

 

[theeggman]

but i read last night that i should smear vaseline on it.
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I use a thin smear of cooking oil, it seems to work and is easier to clean.

 

[Jonnyl]

What was the reason they gave for not keeping them in Jonnyl?
I keep mine in all winter and spring. They are poly hives with insulated type drop boards which essential make the floors solids for the winter. Helps with heat retention within the hive.

The mites can apparently get back in the hive and secondly it hinders ventilation. I have no idea if that is true but ive read that on old posts on this site.

 

[Jonnyl]

Thanks theeggman.

 

[Beefriendly]

The mites can apparently get back in the hive and secondly it hinders ventilation. I have no idea if that is true but ive read that on old posts on this site.

Unlikely.
Now do you think ventilation in a hive is a good thing in winter?

 

[Jonnyl]

I think im convinced by the OMF and no other gaps. Plenty insulation on the crown board with a section cut out and then replaced so that i can remove to place some candy in if required. Thats my plan, let the air circulate and the bees will hopefully do the rest. Fingers x.

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[Millet]

Unlikely.
Now do you think ventilation in a hive is a good thing in winter?

It might be coincidence but last winter i put my inspection boards fully in like i did with the wooden hive in the past winters with the cosy on... i had no moisture problems at all (maybe the wood absorbed it) ... the winter that has just past two poly hives showed a lot of moisture with the inspection tray pushed in.. they was even puddles of water on the inspection tray so i pulled the inspection trays out around 1/4 of the way and that fettled the problem..

 

[masterBK]

According to the manufacturers Apivar doesn't cause a rapid drop of Varroa soon after
inserting the strips but is based on a slow release system that results in their eventual death by starvation hence the need to leave them in for 6 to 8 weeks

 

[Jonnyl]

Yip, the 3rd week in September I'll remove the strips and then maybe use a vapouriser in late December. If what i read is correct then they should be good to go for next year thereafter. It's good practice to vary treatments or so I've read. However, I'm concerned about using a vaporizer on an OMF. Have you any experience of it burning or damaging OMF?

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[Jonnyl]

Also, it wasnt specifically varroa drop i was looking for but to remove and clean the tray too as I'm wary of attracting this wax moth I've been warned about. They can be attracted to the tray debris?

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[Eyeman]

Not much debris after a week. When I used to monitor mite drop I needed to recheck after 2-3 days otherwise there would be too much cappings/pollen etc to see any mites if I left it in for a week.
Here's one of my insert boards after 1 week.

 

[Jonnyl]

It is 'busy' Eyeman. My colony was a nuc hived on 01/07 so yours is probably larger which may explain it.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Ive left my inspection boards in for weeks and had moth larvae in the thick debris. This is a rare oversight but its happened.ive simply burned the detritus and gone about my day.
Ive always assumed that a strong hive wont be worried about the odd moth...

...just double checking.

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[charlievictorbravo]

Removed the tray after one week of apivar varroa treatment. I've read i shouldn't keep the tray in. Anyway, can you experienced beeks tell me what im looking at?

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I find that counting mites is easier if the monitoring board has squares roughly 3" square marked on it with a waterproof pen. If you have a heavy drop, you can count each square and make a note of it then move on to the next square - it's very frustrating if you lose you way in the count when you've done two thirds of it.

If you're thinking about leaving the board in over winter, consider how bees have evolved over millions of years. The European bees probably lived largely in holes in trees with only one small entrance. They did not seem to need or want lots of ventilation, which is something now imposed on bees by humans to deal with condensation in thin-walled, squat manmade enclosures.

CVB

 

[Jonnyl]

So whats your advice CVB? Leave the board in or out?

 

[Beefriendly]

I think he is suggesting from the information he gave you that you figure it out for yourself. Based, perhaps, on what a natural bees nest in tree might be like.