No Veroa mite ???

[8LGM]

Hi,

I'm a newbee. I got my bees as a swarm/cast in May. They had Veroa mite (saw them in the tray). So I treated them. They have been great since and gone fron streangth to streangth.

Since then I have regularly checked for mite and up till today I have not seen one in the tray.

Am I being naive or is it possible that my ladies have gone through the summer and not picked up the mites?

I have Apiguard ready but I don't want to treat unless it is really necessary.

Can anyone advise?

Thanks

 

[East Yorks New Bee]

Hi 8LGM,
Have a look at this post Varroa - A Cautionary Tale I didnt think that I had any varroa.

 

[Finman]

.
Treat with oxalic acid in December however. Naive or not.

 

[thurrock bees]

treat with Apiguard and oxalic acid no matter how little the drop, you will be surpised how many mites are not showing up but are there.

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes you probably are being naive and so treat them.

PH

 

[aseeryl]

Hi. On this topic I have a recovering hive with brood being produced, seemingly exponentially, since the end of August. I did a treatment programme with Hive clean whilst broodless in August. 2 HC tests in the past couple of weeks showed no mite drop.
I've got a couple of Apiguard packs but am reluctant to disturb them and use any whilst the numbers continue to recover.
? Should I use the stuff regardless or leave it till later or am I being paranoid??

 

[BKF Admin]

I would still treat them yes,although you say the bee's were broodless during August so your mite count should be lower due to the gap in brood cycles.

Option 2 could be to wait until New year and give them an OA treatment.

 

[aseeryl]

Admin
I've got a packet of OA xtals in the garage. I might well do that (3.2% spray) and carry on squirting HC when I feed them. I'm concerned about winter survival and spring recovery, which I gather is as much a numbers game as anything.

 

[goodbobby]

I had no varroa mite drop at all and thought "this is great"....wonder bees! I still Apiguarded this month and it literally rained varroah mites. If you treat you need a good 15 degrees daytime temp to be effecive so you need to make your mind up !

 

[rae]

I had no varroa mite drop at all and thought "this is great"....wonder bees! I still Apiguarded this month and it literally rained varroah mites.

Exactly the same for me. We're now in the third week of treatment.

 

[Nellie]

Can add me to the list too. Had a very low drop all year, just coming to the end of the first tray of apiguard and "raining mites" is an apt description.

 

[tazbee]

Hi all

Add me as well.

Very few through the season, now in the 4th week with Apiguard drop is droping, but first two weeks I was knee deep in the bl##dy things.

John D

 

[Heather]

Hmm, maybe cos they have been my bees for 3 years and treated with OA last year, but I have had little drop. Only a large swarm collected in June is piling out the varroa.So that one on 2nd treatment.

The Oxalic in December will tell me if I am right to only have done 1 treatment of Apiguard for the rest.

Yes, I know the 2nd course of Apiguard is to get all the varroa still in the brood, but I felt there was so little drop and the Apiguard was lowering the brood cycle, which is important at this time of the year, my action was the lesser of 2 evils.

p.s. love your Avatar tazbee

 

[aseeryl]

OK.
Thing is I've reduced the size of the BB to 6 frames (small colony) and blocked off the empty space (+ polystyrene filler). So should I use 1/2 a pack as was noted elsewhere?

Also what to look out for re "adverse reactions" if any!! I know they may gather outside etc. but can this stuff be poisonous in practice?

PS. Do I take the feeder off?

PPS I've put a tub in and see how it goes.