OA before or after Father Christmas?

[Polyanwood]

I've got the syringe, got the OA and got the lovely assistant on standby.

So will OA dribbling time be before or after Christmas?? If it is sunny this weekend should we go for it??? What are other people's plans?

 

[Heather]

If it is sunny but cold I would go for it.
Personally, I prefer the bees to be slightly mobile when I dribble as a tight cluster may lessen distribution of OA. Have done mine - had a drop of about 600 on each - so not bad.
It all depends on your hives - no brood= do it. Brood still there = wait 2 weeks,
IMO

 

[Frisbee]

I thought you needed to wait for a cold snap and then do it about a week or so after? During the cold snap the queen will stop laying. Although it has been cold at night the daytime temperature round here has been 4 - 5 degrees. I think January/February is colder.

Frisbee

 

[Heather]

Ah - hasn't got above 5c down here for quite a while - last inspection 4 weeks ago on a sunny day when all were out on cleansing flight - only one hive had about 1/4 frame of brood. I gave it 2 weeks then went for it.

 

[tony350i]

hi Polyanwood,

if i went back to treating my hives i would dribble around this time off year, you may find that your queen has a small patch of brood and this could go on to next year and if that concerns you then you could run your hive tool through it.

 

[Finman]

I thought you needed to wait for a cold snap and then do it about a week or so after?

No, it does not go that way.

Bees stop laying for cold or they do not get food outside.

Ivy flowering has been very important to your laying.
It takes about month after pollen foraging has stoppedthat all capped brood have emerged. Laying stop is not important.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Will be doing this the first week in jan this year.

 

[BKF Admin]

I was going to do mine tomorrow

 

[jimbeekeeper]

. Have done mine - had a drop of about 600 on each -
IMO

Over what period did you monitor to get 600?

Yesterday you said my mite drop of about 150 (in 24hs) was high?

I have just checked now (48hrs) on and the drop was about 50.

Jim

 

[Heather]

1st day about 50, next day 400, then tailed off to negligible after another 3 days. Prior to treatment I was seeing about 3 a day. All hives were fairly similar.

If your drop was 150 in 24hrs pre treatment I would be bricking it - if you will excuse my turn of phrase

 

[jimbeekeeper]

No you have miss read it.

Before treatment my hive was like yours, 1 or 2 per day.

I then treated and 24hrs later I got about 150, 48hrs after treat meant I am down to about 50.

So in my view that is a better (lower) result than your hives?

Jim

 

[Hivemaker.]

It all depends on the if there is brood or not.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

no brood

 

[Heather]

I would suggest your hives are fairly healthy then - that drop is mild

 

[jimbeekeeper]