MAQs and Queens

[Cuckmere couple]

i bought maqs last year for 10 hives

temperatures seemed too high to use and then i ended up using apiguard

wanted to use it this year and always find myself in a situation where im unsure

uncertainty currently is, ive had 3-4 new queens emerge and now laying and knowing MAQs can be hard on queens, wondered if it is sensible to hold off until theyve been established a while, or just get on with it whiclt i can and ahead of main flow etc

any advice?

 

[tonyofarr]

Have you got high levels of varroa? I would only use MAQs on those colonies if I absolutely had to, as I have found that it can affect queens and unsealed brood/eggs. Also you need to coat any unsealed metal with vaseline or it gets attacked by the acid e.g. metal runners.

With the weather forecast we have I think it would be unwise to use it but others may have different advice.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i dont have many signs of deformed wings etc and havent got into mite drop count yet...just assume i need to treat annually

i have seen 3-4 mites in some drone cells recently

 

[WoodenBeam]

I’ve used MAQS for the last couple of years & have no complaints - that said though I use following the final crop sometime early August prior to feeding

 

[Bear]

I’ve used MAQS many times with no problems but I do know a beekeeper who used it once, lost a queen and would never use it again. Once I did double dose the hive and the eggs shrivelled up but the queen did not die. That’s my experience but not the same as another’s. Only way is you’d have to try it. Personally unless it was or seemed like a big / heavy infestation I wouldn’t bother.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok

may be worth holding on until august

 

[ANMAW]

Has anyone actually spotted any MAQS for sale? I’ve been looking for some for a while for late summer/Autumn treatment and can’t find it in stock. Maybe COVID related?

 

[gregior]

I treated mine with MAQS in April as I had high counts.Some of the colonies were queenright,some had cells and others virgins in.The q+ colonies were all ok this time but I have lost queens in the past. The colonies with cells and virgins didn't fare so well with some failed matings and some small queens.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Has anyone actually spotted any MAQS for sale? I’ve been looking for some for a while for late summer/Autumn treatment and can’t find it in stock. Maybe COVID related?

Bee Equipment are taking advance orders

 

[WoodenBeam]

I treated mine with MAQS in April as I had high counts.Some of the colonies were queenright,some had cells and others virgins in.The q+ colonies were all ok this time but I have lost queens in the past. The colonies with cells and virgins didn't fare so well with some failed matings and some small queens.

Don’t think I’d have used MAQS in anything other than strong queen right colonies, that said nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[madasafish]

I used MAQs last year for the first time.
Nucs and Hives came through with no issues.

I followed the instructions ..( Lang jumbos)

 

[Courty]

I’ve used it with established queens and erred on the lower side of dosing when I had DWV signs late on in the year, it did the trick with no problems. It’s a flash treatment so don’t over do it, and avoid too hot weather.
Courty

 

[ANMAW]

Bee Equipment are taking advance orders

Cheers-have you got a link? I can’t see anything on their website in the treatments section or via a search, but I’m only on a mobile so it may not be showing everything.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I've lost queens and seen (many) bees crawling out of the hive to die on the grass. (Double brood colonies and not too hot). I also have seen no real issues with the stuff although been very anxious when it's gone on!
It doesn't keep that long and I would not be inclined to use it as a first choice.

There has been a view that the concentration was reduced for our smaller hives but I may be peddling rubbish information. Unless someone knows for sure?

 

[foghornleghorn]

Cheers-have you got a link? I can’t see anything on their website in the treatments section or via a search, but I’m only on a mobile so it may not be showing everything.

Was talking to them on the phone on Thursday and they'd no plans to order more yet, only sell the limited amount of stock left

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There has been a view that the concentration was reduced for our smaller hives but I may be peddling rubbish information. Unless someone knows for sure?

Not rubbish the original dosage was set for dadants and Langstroths not our single brood national hives, unfortunately at the time, to change the instructions on the packet would have meant they had to go through the whole expense of relicencing, so instead, they just put the word about to halve the specified dose on national hives