Lack Of Varroa

[Murox]

Cheers
I have something similar except the hole is in the floor above the omf and is plugged with a bit of dowel.

Now that is an excellent idea. Why didn't I think of that ? Is that incorporated into a homemade OMF system ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Now that is an excellent idea. Why didn't I think of that ? Is that incorporated into a homemade OMF system ?

All I have done is added a shallow strip to deepen the floor above the omf where needed. Half my floors have underfloor entrances so I just make them deep enough above the mesh. I’ll get a picture up later

 

[Murox]

All I have done is added a shallow strip to deepen the floor above the omf where needed. Half my floors have underfloor entrances so I just make them deep enough above the mesh. I’ll get a picture up later

Thank you. I can visualise what you are doing. I am on the verge of making up underfloor entrance so this may get incorporated.

 

[Repwoc]

I started this year's autumn thymol (aka Apiguard) treatment last Tuesday. I checked two of the inspection boards today (5 days). On one I counted 32 mites, but the other had none at all. Zero. I looked with a magnifier for ~ 10 mins. There was a fair amount of the usual detritus so I may have missed some I guess, but I've never inspected and found no mites before.

I cleaned the boards and replaced them. I'll check again in a couple of days.

 

[Millet]

Still very few varroa in all colonies apart from this one on double brood..it has had three vapes upto now with little mite drop so I put the Apitraz strips in yesterday..today the inspection tray is full of dead varroa..i am wondering if vaping is not as effective on big colonies on double brood.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Still very few varroa in all colonies apart from this one on double brood..it has had three vapes upto now with little mite drop so I put the Apitraz strips in yesterday..today the inspection tray is full of dead varroa..i am wondering if vaping is not as effective on big colonies on double brood.

Amitraz strips of any kind are not fast acting. What you have seen is a decent vape drop.
I suspect your queen had just recently laid up a few frames and they all emerged at about the same time.
If you’re vaping double brood you need to use more oxalic, that’s all.
Next time you do it take the roof off and look through the crownboard to see if vapour gets up there.
Even so the bees will pick up oxalic crystals from the rest of the hive and from their sisters as they move about anyway

 

[Murox]

Yesterday I did what I hope will be the final vape til mid winter - I had to go into the hive later to feed - witnessed some serious mutual grooming going on as a result of the vaping.... Fascinating really.

 

[Millet]

Amitraz strips of any kind are not fast acting. What you have seen is a decent vape drop.
I suspect your queen had just recently laid up a few frames and they all emerged at about the same time.
If you’re vaping double brood you need to use more oxalic, that’s all.
Next time you do it take the roof off and look through the crownboard to see if vapour gets up there.
Even so the bees will pick up oxalic crystals from the rest of the hive and from their sisters as they move about anyway

That sounds about right and shame on me that i doubted the vaping... ...dose wise the lot get a tad more than suggested with no ill effect apart from to our little parasites..
Edit to add i am still going to vape the lot of them for a fourth time regardless of the Apitraz strips just to be on the safe side..