Mite treatment this time of year.

[idg]

What's the best mite treatment to use this time of year? One hive ( brood half of as AS) has mite visible on quite a few bees. I have oxalic and apiguard available. No super on hive. Qc has hatched but no sign of brood or eggs yet.

 

[idg]

Any ideas folks?

 

[Finman]

.
It I very good that you want solution to problem.

Oxalic acid violated brood. Thymol and formic acid are good brooding time treatments.

When you see free mites on bees' body, situation is bad. It is better to treat now than wait to September.

AS is easy to treat. It is better to use Apiquard (thymol) Oxalic acid violates brood.

Then there is brood part of AS. It is better to wait 2 weeks more that all bees emerge and you may kill mites with thymol. Keep treatment on all the time.

There is a Ducth method, that you make again an AS and there is part of colony where is no brood. You kill mites and join to first swarm. It does not differ much if you wait that whole hive is broodless, and mites are was to kill.

Hive is not big, and mite will destroy the colony before Winter if you do not nothing.


.

 

[Finman]

Any ideas folks?

Second idea is, do nothing. Varroa does not kill hives . Never did.

 

[fatshark]

Varroa doesn't but the viruses it carries do.
At this time of year, with the state of your hive, I might try OA vaporisation. Perhaps more than one treatment. About 95% effective against phoretic mites. OA trickling will damage new brood as Finman says.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I might try OA vaporisation.

3 or 4 times at five day intervals will do it.

 

[Arfermo]

OA trickling will damage new brood as Finman says.

So will sublimation of oxalic. You need to be sure it is really necessary and can't wait for August thymol treatment, as oxalic in either form now while the build-up is still going strongly will set the colony back for a while.

 

[Hivemaker.]

So will sublimation of oxalic. You need to be sure it is really necessary and can't wait for August thymol treatment, as oxalic in either form now while the build-up is still going strongly will set the colony back for a while.

Not seen any harm to open brood... or any detrimental effect on colony build up when using oxalic sublimation, even when deliberately overdosing to observe the effects on bees and brood.

 

[Eyeman]

Not seen any harm to open brood... or any detrimental effect on colony build up when using oxalic sublimation, even when deliberately overdosing to observe the effects on bees and brood.

Same for oxalic acid dribble. All my swarms and a proportion of my A/S get a dribble when the queen starts to lay but before the brood is sealed.

 

[idg]

There is no eggs in the hive and no brood. Would a single dose of apiguard be sufficient (2 weeks), as there is no sealed brood?

 

[enrico]

I would go down the MAQS route to avoid the smell
E

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Yes, I bought some MAQs yesterday for a mid season treatment on one of my hives showing a lot of DWV. Lost a queen last time I used them so plenty of ventilation and space planned this time around!

 

[idg]

I would go down the MAQS route to avoid the smell
E

There are no supers on the hive so smell shouldn't be a problem. I just thought that In two weeks the mites would have had a hit, and the queen might be laying by then?

 

[Hivemaker.]

There are no supers on the hive so smell shouldn't be a problem. I just thought that In two weeks the mites would have had a hit, and the queen might be laying by then?

Best to leave well alone until the new queen has mated and started to lay, then treat before any brood is sealed, one treatment using oxalic sublimation or three or four days with a thymol based treatment, no need to treat for two weeks or more with thymol when there is no sealed brood.