Large varroa load

[rogerlouis]

I have just noticed that my largest, most prolific colony now has a drop of hundreds in two days. I guess I'd better start the Apiguard treatment asap. This colony had a drop of virtually zero in the spring.

 

[Dishmop]

I have just noticed that my largest, most prolific colony now has a drop of hundreds in two days. I guess I'd better start the Apiguard treatment asap. This colony had a drop of virtually zero in the spring.

Seems as if they're dying anyway..

 

[Finman]

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You have time to handle it.

I suggest, that you make an artificial swarm. Mere bees move to the broodless hive. Then trickle the bees with oxalic acid. Cleaned hive has good time to rear winter bees.

When bees in brood hive emerges, give to them varroa treatment. With some stuff

Take the honey frames and put them into AS hive after treatment.

It takes 3-4 days when bees move to AS from brood hive.

If you wait, mites may destroy all new brood before autumn.
.

 

[Finman]

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Why AS?.... Because you does not need any more next brood generation, and brood protects mites even if you treat them. To treat big hive is a laborous job.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have just noticed that my largest, most prolific colony now has a drop of hundreds in two days. I guess I'd better start the Apiguard treatment asap.

It's that time of year - so as long as you've harvested the honey - crack on with it - plety of time to get a full, effective course on, the seriously consider OA at Christmas

This colony had a drop of virtually zero in the spring.

That's how it works

 

[oliver90owner]

Thymol will knock down the phoretic mites if applied correctly, in a matter of days. With that varroa drop the brood is likely loused with mites.

Actually, if the truth were known, they have likely had a brood break or severe reduction in brooding for some reason, hence the large phoretic mite population. There may be other reasons, too, but for that drop, there is likely a simple one.

 

[Finman]

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Reason to sudden big number of mites is possible, if a hive has robbed a hive which is dying for varroa.

 

[masterBK]

Why not just use MAQS as they are supposed to kill the mites (particulalrly the male mites) in the broodcells as well as the phoretic mites? Queen will probably go off lay for a couple of days or so but she will soon make that up when she starts laying again

 

[Finman]

Why not just use MAQS as they are supposed to kill the mites

4 weeks treatment, big hive and results are not often so good as it is said,

Very laborous job

 

[Erichalfbee]

1 week

 

[VEG]

1 week

+can be used with supers on not laborious at all

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

4 weeks treatment, big hive and results are not often so good as it is said,

Very laborous job

Sorry, Finman. For once this is rubbish.

Lift off the supers, lay it on the frames, put everything back, leave it a week.

Very low/no visible varroa presence after.

Dusty

 

[BeeJayBee]

(Finman)4 weeks treatment, big hive and results are not often so good as it is said,

Sorry, Finman. For once this is rubbish.

Lift off the supers, lay it on the frames, put everything back, leave it a week.

Very low/no visible varroa presence after.

Brilliant stuff, I'll be using it again next year.

 

[Finman]

Sorry, Finman. For once this is rubbish.

Very low/no visible varroa presence after.

Dusty

Well, that stuff is formic acid. Not a silver bullet. Maqs has been used since 1997 in Canada. Canada have had huge varroa problems still.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Maybe. But what is the percentage use of MAQS in Canada?

Only if there is a significant uptake - say >50% - and there is no effect whatsoever on overall varroa levels, can it be said that MAQS is not particularly effective.

Have you used it, Finman? I'm still puzzled that you can say using it is a 'very laborious job'.


Dusty.

 

[Finman]

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I have 20 litres formic acid in my store. Selfmade formic is about 50 cents per dose.

Normal rule in using thymol or formic acid is that if the varroa load is big, then you need a profound many dosage treatment. If varroa load is low, then you may use knock down once treatment.

Formic acid kills 40% under brood cappings. And mite douple itself in a month. After a month mite load is at same level.
If varroa contamination is bad, most of brood will die. Towards autumn varroa load becomes bigger and broof amount becomes smaller. Finally the last brood frames which were meant winterbees, all brood die. You have in UK many brood cycles and varroa has time to multiply itself

So in severe cases, positive attitude does not help you.
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I have too much bad experiences. Big hives are easy to die because big mite load will concentrate into fewer brood.
.

The main point is that, that if varroa load is very big, normal procedure does not work.

Your bees. I get nothing from these advices.

 

[Finman]

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MAQS is new in UK, but old product in Canada, 17 years. Read about Canada's mite problems. They are mainly professional beekeeping. Perhaps you get backround to silver bullet products.

In all those countries, where is no winter brood brake, varroa control is very difficult. Think about that too. NZ, South Africa, Florida, Argentina....

 

[Dishmop]

Finally the last brood frames which were meant winterbees, all brood die.

Disproven rubbish.

 

[Finman]

Disproven rubbish.

Do nothing guy's advice. This is not a joke forum

 

[farbee]

You are getting off the point.

Yes MAQS will not eradicate varroa from every hive throughout the country.
Yes MAQS is simply an easy way to administer formic acid.

But in the situation the hive is in, described by original post, MAQS should be a simple and effective alternative to thymol.