Is it Springtime yet

[JohnnyD]

Hi all, well my hive survived another winter, today should I swap super/brood order, remove mouse guard and apivar the colony?

JD

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[Roola]

Hi all, well my hive survived another winter, today should I swap super/brood order, remove mouse guard and apivar the colony?

JD

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Always be aware of a 'false spring' the coming week is looking pretty lovely with high pressure in charge but that doesn't mean that cooler weather isn't still possible... After next week there could be slightly more unsettled conditions and snow historically has happened in April. Some people took mouse guards off yesterday, mine don't seem to be knocking off any pollen and with the chance of weather being cooler again before the month is out I'm leaving mine on.

 

[Heather]

Looking good down South. All hives safely through and still heavy with stores in brood boxes.
I have removed lower super as now empty of food, but retaining insulation as frosts still possible.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi all, well my hive survived another winter, today should I swap super/brood order, remove mouse guard and apivar the colony?

JD

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Is Apivar still effective in your location?

 

[JohnnyD]

Hi John

Its actually Apilife VAR, thats what was recommended to me by fragile planet ?

Is it still worth me doing that this weekend ?

JD

Is Apivar still effective in your location?

 

[oliver90owner]

Roola is right. People have remarkably short memories. March 2012 weather was like this and how did that season turn out?

 

[Chris B]

Well the bees think it's spring, even if some beekeepers aren't so sure.

 

[SteveJ]

Just checked the forecast for the week after next and its talking snow. So its not finished up here yet.

SteveJ

 

[Sadders]

My solitary hive survived the winter, and survived it well. Last year they scraped through but never got the numbers up. They had minimal stores but still taking the fondant I had left on (hundreds of bees in the bag).

Took the mouse guard off on the insulation in the roof, otherwise I left thinks bee.

Also saw eggs (no other brood) and the queen.

Here's to a successful year.

 

[Roola]

Just checked the forecast for the week after next and its talking snow. So its not finished up here yet.

SteveJ

exactly, our winters are notorious for a 'sting' in the tail... i'd not count chickens yet! Its great next week will be nice as its a chance to get some much needed pollen in but then they may have to sit tight a bit longer till we get some more certainty in the weather. The current warm spell is thanks to high pressure dominating and bringing in warmer air from the azores and the continent... It only takes for this to sink a bit further south and we can bring in a more unsettled and potentially cooler scenario from the North again.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hi John

Its actually Apilife VAR, thats what was recommended to me by fragile planet ?

Is it still worth me doing that this weekend ?

JD

I used it on brood boxes according to instructions last Autumn for the first time. A lot of bees hung around outside the hives during the treatment period and there was marked slowing of egg laying. I hadn't considered it as a spring treatment especially as its around 75% Thymol so potentially leaving residues in the stores which could be transferred into supers when they go on and if the bees decide to move stores up to make brood space. Someone with more experience may wish to give an opinion?
Personally I wouldn't use it as a springtime treatment without some really good overriding reason.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Personally I wouldn't use it as a springtime treatment without some really good overriding reason.

Why do you think you need it anyway? really heavy mite drop? last thing you want now is a slowing down of laying unless you think you have no other choice. Did you not apiguard in autumn and OA mid winter?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Is Apivar still effective in your location?

There is not much of a problem with varroa resistance to Apivar in most parts of this country yet.

 

[Cazza]

Given that Apivar is Thymol based, I would not want it near my hives at this time of year. I can see OSR flowering very soon. I have some hives which I think will be ready for it and I wouldn't risk tainting the honey.
Cazza

 

[Hivemaker.]

Given that Apivar is Thymol based

Apivar is Amitraz based, perhaps you are thinking of Apilife Var.

 

[itma]

Its actually Apilife VAR, thats what was recommended to me by fragile planet ?

Is it still worth me doing that this weekend ?

JD

There is not much of a problem with varroa resistance to Apivar in most parts of this country yet.

Given that Apivar is Thymol based, I would not want it near my hives at this time of year. ... I wouldn't risk tainting the honey.
Cazza

Cazza, you are right and wrong at the same time!
ApilifeVAR is Thymol based, plus Camphor, etc -- it does risk tainting the early season crop. Smells rather like cough syrup. Also the 'biscuits' should not be allowed to touch the plastic of poly hives - it turns the poly into goo.

Apivar is the EU 'cascade' import miticide (based on Amitraz), to which UK bees and their varroa (probably apart from those belonging to bee farmers) have not had much chance to build up resistance to. But, the more its used, the sooner they will! Supposedly leaves no residues ... but needs to be taken off 2 weeks before the first super goes on.

Two very different products, with easily-confused names!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have removed lower super as now empty of food, but retaining insulation as frosts still possible.

A job for me too, next week.
Won't be looking in awhile yet; no need
One colony is getting a little light though hopefully the willow will take care of that. Another is too heavy. Two too keep an eye on.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

There is not much of a problem with varroa resistance to Apivar in most parts of this country yet.

Sadly I am uncomfortably close to a couple of red triangles on the resistance map of the UK. The map in the managing varroa booklet I was supplied via my association seems to be based on three year old data so the situation may be less good than indicated

 

[itma]

Sadly I am uncomfortably close to a couple of red triangles on the resistance map of the UK. The map in the managing varroa booklet I was supplied via my association seems to be based on three year old data so the situation may be less good than indicated

Umm, is there such a thing as an Amitraz-resistance map?

Point being, varroa can be resistant to Apistan/Bayvarol, yet susceptible to Amitraz (Apivar) -- which is why some people choose to use it.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Umm, is there such a thing as an Amitraz-resistance map?

Point being, varroa can be resistant to Apistan/Bayvarol, yet susceptible to Amitraz (Apivar) -- which is why some people choose to use it.

I understood resistance developing through evolving mites is an ever present threat :-(
f you are able to give categorical reassurance about the future situation for Apivar I would welcome the news. Unfortunately the table also indicates Apivar is not authorised for general use in the UK and requires authority to be used. Is this no longer the case?