MAQ strip dosage

[DanBee]

That can from the guys from maqs at the Irish beekeeping convention in gormonstown just recently

Not a rumour. It came from me at Gormanston because the MAQS sales girls were unconvincing and I rather hijacked the session.

MAQS dosage is calculated for Langstroth boxes; National brood boxes are roughly 2/3 of that volume. I run on Commercials which are roughly Langstroth volume; I have not had unusual problems with queen loss or colony failure during treatment so I conclude that people on smaller Nationals are reading the pictures on the lid and slapping two strips on to a single brood box colony when it is not big enough. Accidental overdosing.

My approach is that a strong Commercial colony gets 2 strips; a nuc or a recently put-out nuc or small split gets 1 strip. Solid floors but entrances wide open. The few Nationals I have only get 2 strips if they are on multi brood boxes; 1 strip for single brood Nationals.

You will see a brood loss of circa 3-4 days immediately after treatment but my experience is that the queen continues to lay. This is the nature of the formic acid treatment and was apparent with the earlier Mite Away pads.