OA Treatment

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springers

New Bee
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Dec 30, 2010
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Location
cheshire
Hive Type
National
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Hello
I made some OA up yesterday with the intention of treating today as this is the first time my bees have been anything like inactive. But having read a few threads I don't know if I should do it now, because of them losing heat. I know its late for OA but as I say they've been so active.
Do I risk chilling them or do I risk not treating them???
 
We are in the expansion period of the colony. Now the rate of reproduction of the bees is a lot higher than that of the mites. Therefore they do not represent an immediate threat.
OA application in a broodright colony is close to useless, since most of the mites are happy protected under the cappings.

I would wait until there is the opportunity to treat the broodless swarm, and the emerged young bees three weeks later separately.
 
Thanks Polyhive...just needed a kick...I will do it now..quickly.
 
Trickleing probably will only upset their tummies... vaporising will knock down most of the phoretic mites. IMLE.
 
"as this is the first time my bees have been anything like inactive"

You've made the mistake of linking OA treatment time with inactivity/tight clustering.

In fact the correct time is when the colony is broodless.

Ok most years inactivity and broodlessness correlate pretty well BUT this late there will often be a little brood rearing, even if cold, as we are now 6.5 weeks post shortest day and in the midst of hazel, snowdrop and crocus season.

as i've stated here several times, this year the narrow window of opportunity for treatment was probably 2-3 days of the new year BH weekend - 3 weeks after the first and only proper frost of the tail end of 2011 and 9-10 days post shortest day (assuming HM takes a day or two to get switched back on to lay).

most of us treated with rather more active colonies than we'd like - presume more stings this year than previously.
 
>That cannot be true in Helsinki.

Of course not. But he is in the UK where there is a high probability there is brood already.
My point is that OA is not the right substance to use in a broodright colony.
 
Of course not. But he is in the UK where there is a high probability there is brood already.
My point is that OA is not the right substance to use in a broodright colony.

It makes no harm even if he does it. Like Poly Hive said DO IT!
 
Do it, but don't be surprised if it doesn't work as well as it should. Still, doing it is better than not doing it.
 
Personally, at this time of the year I would not be doing it. No effect on the over-wintering of the current bees, poor efficacy if the colony is brooding, some risk to the bees.

But, there again, if you want to take the risk, or have reason to believe it would be beneficial for the colony, go ahead. Your choice.

I am one of those that did not treat with oxalic acid this winter, and have not needed to for the past 5 winters (one colony lost over winter in the previous 4 years). I suspect I have a loss, so far, this winter, but likely not varroa related at this time of the year, or going forward to the spring. Varroa later in the year, presents little problem to me. I can cope.

RAB
 
Personally No effect on the over-wintering of the current bees, poor efficacy if the colony is brooding, some risk to the bees.

RAB

Only risk that it hurts larvae, which are not many.

If that cold period continues in UK 7 days, all larvae will be dead and killed because bees do not get water outside.

OA kills perhaps 20% of mites in the hive but sees then the fall down.

With that fall down he can valuate how much the hive has mites. Few or too much.

.
 
Personally, at this time of the year I would not be doing it. No effect on the over-wintering of the current bees, poor efficacy if the colony is brooding, some risk to the bees.

But, there again, if you want to take the risk, or have reason to believe it would be beneficial for the colony, go ahead. Your choice.

I am one of those that did not treat with oxalic acid this winter, and have not needed to for the past 5 winters (one colony lost over winter in the previous 4 years). I suspect I have a loss, so far, this winter, but likely not varroa related at this time of the year, or going forward to the spring. Varroa later in the year, presents little problem to me. I can cope.

RAB

I agree,and think that oxalic acid is still a useful emergency treatment, for those that need to use it.
 
We are in the expansion period of the colony. Now the rate of reproduction of the bees is a lot higher than that of the mites. Therefore they do not represent an immediate threat.
OA application in a broodright colony is close to useless, since most of the mites are happy protected under the cappings.

I would wait until there is the opportunity to treat the broodless swarm, and the emerged young bees three weeks later separately.

How true is this ?
We see mite fall tailing off up to three weeks after application so unless these mites get their full dose immediately, or close to application, and the oxalic is just a slow working poison which takes that long to kill them, then surely mites emerging with hatching brood will still be affected by the remaining oxalic in the colony ( possibly within the bees haemolymph ? ).
 
We see mite fall tailing off up to three weeks after application ...
Isn't it possible that these are mites that have died at the time of treatment, and are being cleaned out of cells ready for brood rearing?
 

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