lets discuss OA drizzling

[hallshoney]

i vaporize routinely though the year its cheap and quick I have not found any ill affect to the brood. I had a lot less losses than most last season. I don't use thymol based treatments as I don't like the side affects.

 

[beeno]

I think the trick with OA is to use when there is no brood, something in my part of the UK that happens very infrequently. I don't normally use OA and rely on other methods of keeping varroa down but last winter as it was very cold I thought there would not be any brood and trickled 4 out it of 22 colonies to see how they fared. All I trickled were slow in building in the spring compared to untreated, could be a number of factors that caused this and not scientific at all but I for one will not be using it in near future.
S

Hi Stiffy and others,
You do not say, but I read between the lines the outcome of these four colonies were not good?
Also, if people state that they think the OA killed their colonies I believe them as the cause effect would be quick, but that does not exclude the fact that there may have been more important other causes and OA in an already weakened colony was the death knell - as stated in previous post. As with everything in beekeeping it's Catch 22, if you don't treat they die and if you do sometimes they still die. The very same with humans beings actually left it too late.

 

[beeno]

Hi Ely,
Same here. Last year got more from OA at Christmas than Thymol in autumn, so I will definitely go again. Got even less this year! Don't believe in natural mite drop as it can only tell you that you have varroa not that you don't. There is subjectivity in most research 'the one who pays the Piper ... springs to mind!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, it just shows how important it is to monitor through the year. I don't mean natural drop.....unless over a prolonged period.... rather, drone brood uncapping, sugar rolling, alcohol washes.
I have had evidence of little varroa this year and lots of people have reported similar here on this forum and in my own BKA.
I don't believe in the "they must be there so I don't monitor and I'll treat with anything available" school of thought though I must admit reciting that very mantra when I was a new beekeeper and very inexperienced.
I am quite excited by MAQS and the idea I can use it any time from Spring through to Autumn irrespective of honey supers on top.....but perhaps this excitement is again that of inexperience.

 

[enrico]

I think everyone who has been on the forum for some time knows my views. I have NEVER used oa in thirty years. I have varroa, I do autumn treatment only. I have never lost a hive over winter. I always get honey. My bees seem strong and healthy so what would I gain from oa? Nothing that I can see, what could I lose? Well opening my hive in mid winter is not going to help them, trickling acidic liquid on them is not going to help them, so why should I do it? I work on experience, my experience, because that is the way I want to keep my bees, I listen to others and way up the pros and cons, in this case the cons against the use lose!
E

 

[REDWOOD]

I'm still sitting on the fence , I have never used the stuff but would consider doing it if varroa drop was very high which I doubt it will be this year

 

[Tdod]

I'm still sitting on the fence , I have never used the stuff but would consider doing it if varroa drop was very high which I doubt it will be this year

do you check for varroa drop in the winter I assumed you left the board out now until next year, I do not know what is the norm reguarding checking varroa levels in winter??

 

[Norfolk]

i vaporize routinely though the year its cheap and quick I have not found any ill affect to the brood. I had a lot less losses than most last season. I don't use thymol based treatments as I don't like the side affects.

I have seen a 12v vaporizer called a JB200, is that what you use ?

 

[REDWOOD]

do you check for varroa drop in the winter I assumed you left the board out now until next year, I do not know what is the norm reguarding checking varroa levels in winter??

The inspection board is just that only for inspections and the next one will be 1 week before Christmas for 7 days and if the mite drop is above 20 then OA will be applies
for more info look here
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm

I would use petrolium jelly or such products to form a sticky base of the monitoring board to stop mites been blown away or opportunists removing them resulting in an inaccurate reading

 

[For want of a better word]

I have seen a 12v vaporizer called a JB200, is that what you use ?

I had one very bad experience with trickling OA... Greek bees all succumbed after a mid winter slosh of OA in correct solution and temperature etc... bees were in an isolation apiary away from others, did not have time to Apiguard as a November rescue job... bees MAY have had nosema and the warm syrup could have kickstarted mass tummy ache!

I now use a VARROX VAPORISER.*. and strictly follow all the safety measures recommend.
Tried the cheepo chinese and bulg/ukraine types.. that last 5 minutes... and wiring looks decidedly dangerous!


*Expensive one from Thorrrrrrrrrrrrrrnesssssssssss... but same model available elsewhere!

 

[Norfolk]

Ukraine - £25
Thornes £135



Any sensible UK suppliers ?

 

[Tdod]

The inspection board is just that only for inspections and the next one will be 1 week before Christmas for 7 days and if the mite drop is above 20 then OA will be applies
for more info look here
https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/public/BeeDiseases/varroaCalculator.cfm

I would use petrolium jelly or such products to form a sticky base of the monitoring board to stop mites been blown away or opportunists removing them resulting in an inaccurate reading

Many Thanks Redwood good clear answer to my query

 

[psafloyd]

to save another thread going off topic i have started this one.

repeatedly drizzling OA onto the bees i cannot see is a way to progress for the health of the colony.

You don't "repeatedly" drizzle OA on the bees. The bees you drizzle OA on will be dead in spring, with the exception of the queen.

Just how long do you want the queen to last, anyway? I have tried allowing mine to age nicely, but they just get swarmy, so come next year, it's requeening all round with a couple saved for producing nucs.

 

[Stiffy]

Hi Stiffy and others,
You do not say, but I read between the lines the outcome of these four colonies were not good?
Also, if people state that they think the OA killed their colonies I believe them as the cause effect would be quick, but that does not exclude the fact that there may have been more important other causes and OA in an already weakened colony was the death knell - as stated in previous post. As with everything in beekeeping it's Catch 22, if you don't treat they die and if you do sometimes they still die. The very same with humans beings actually left it too late.

No, I didn't say the colonies were not good, I don't keep any that do not pay their way as far as possible and they all produced good amounts of honey. All colonies started the winter in, as far as possible the same condition however, the four colonies were about 3-4 weeks behind the others in May. As the flow was later than expected, they all reached 'good' condition in time and all four have been retained to go into next year ie no queens replaced.
S


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

 

[beeno]

Hi Stiffy,
Sorry, that I misunderstood easily done in writing. So, what exactly did turned you off OA?

 

[Stiffy]

Hi Stiffy,
Sorry, that I misunderstood easily done in writing. So, what exactly did turned you off OA?

No worries, I am just replying with my experience others have had a positive experience with OA. I will not be using it again on the near future
S

 

[Heather]

Finman..
Queen problems.
None going the full year, being superceded often with another poor queen. 3 colonies where queen mated, but then poor pattern and wandering about looking listless.
I will get one good queen early next year (you can send me one if you like) and breed from her to replace all queens. But queen failure is a bigger problem than varroa etc to me.

 

[pargyle]

Finman..
Queen problems.
None going the full year, being superceded often with another poor queen. 3 colonies where queen mated, but then poor pattern and wandering about looking listless.
I will get one good queen early next year (you can send me one if you like) and breed from her to replace all queens. But queen failure is a bigger problem than varroa etc to me.

Sadly Heather, he's not going to hear you ... once you are in the naughty room you can't even get on to the forum to read posts or PM's., let alone participate ... It's a vacumn !!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finman..
Queen problems.
None going the full year, being superceded often with another poor queen. 3 colonies where queen mated, but then poor pattern and wandering about looking listless.
I will get one good queen early next year (you can send me one if you like) and breed from her to replace all queens. But queen failure is a bigger problem than varroa etc to me.

Well either it's the strain of queen that needs a change, or maybe yours is just a poor mating area? it can happen

 

[hallshoney]

I have seen a 12v vaporizer called a JB200, is that what you use ?

no I use a sublimox apf its 240v comes from Italy