Low varroa drop: to vape or not to vape

[manek]

If my sums are right, that's the drop over 2 days so not a terrible infestation but worth treating nonetheless. I think you'll be down to single figure daily drops after the third treatment.

CVB

Hope you're right: I took look at my yellow varroa board today and another 70 had dropped in the space of a couple of days. Definitely vaping on Friday.

There was also a small pile of (I guess) OA crystals on the board which would be what - the result of bees grooming themselves?

 

[Eyeman]

If you vape under the OMF and its like this then it's due to the OA vapour condensing on the OMF and not getting into the hive.

 

[manek]

If you vape under the OMF and its like this then it's due to the OA vapour condensing on the OMF and not getting into the hive.

View attachment 13899

I didn't see as much as that - just a small pile a couple of centimetres round. My vaping spoon goes above the OMF - I inserted it into the hive entrance and then blocked it up, as per the instructions (and the videos and demos I've seen). So I can only assume it's the result of grooming or maybe vapour condensing out onto surfaces above the OMF and then falling off.

 

[Eyeman]

Hi Manek
It's probably condensing on the bottom of the frame directly above the pan which would explain the small pile of OA

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you vape under the OMF and its like this then it's due to the OA vapour condensing on the OMF and not getting into the hive.

View attachment 13899

I get that, but I get plenty in the hive as well.

 

[Eyeman]

I get that, but I get plenty in the hive as well.

Difficult to tell whether 'plenty' is enough or whether we are under dosing them?
I've had a couple of hives that were still dropping 100+ mites one week after their 3rd Vape in December. These were vaped again last Sunday with approx 25% more OA than I used previously. Will be checking the drop again on Sunday.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Difficult to tell whether 'plenty' is enough or whether we are under dosing them?

Indeed which is why I use 3.5g Oxalic rather than 2.3.
According to LASI there is a wide therapeutic range

 

[Heather]

Was having negligible varroa drop on 3 day checks but decided to vape all anyway, as I heard a beekeeper stating minimal pre vape drop but 2000+ afterwards.
Day 2 post vape, max drops 200 and average per hive 40 so seems bees learning to cope as I did no other treatments last year. But bees all back to normal and no apparent bee loss. Manek... your decision

 

[manek]

Was having negligible varroa drop on 3 day checks but decided to vape all anyway, as I heard a beekeeper stating minimal pre vape drop but 2000+ afterwards.
Day 2 post vape, max drops 200 and average per hive 40 so seems bees learning to cope as I did no other treatments last year. But bees all back to normal and no apparent bee loss. Manek... your decision

Thanks Heather for the update - I'll be vaping again today....

 

[manek]

And the result of vaping two days ago is a drop of about 70 - less than the first application, which is (I think) a good sign.

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[Heather]

Thats enough vaping Manek, tuck them up with fondant and leave them be.

 

[manek]

Thanks Heather. Will do!

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[Eyeman]

And the result of vaping two days ago is a drop of about 70 - less than the first application, which is (I think) a good sign.

70 mites after 2 days ??how may mites dropping after a week.
I'm re-treating all mine that are dropping 30+ or more after 1 week.
Interesting results so far and I'm still learning!
A 3 frame nuc that is clearly brooding just dropped 50 after it's 4th OAV. Re-vaped today and will monitor in a week.
I don't like to think there are still lots of mites around at the start of the year when there is hopefully a minimal amount of brood.
I don't want to have to treat in May/June because of high mite levels when I'm busy building up colonies, splitting colonies and queen rearing.

 

[manek]

I got a cumulative drop over the first week of about 200 (cumulative because I checked every 2-3 days).

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