Oxalic - 50 mites in 24 hours

[Gilberdyke John]

Thanks beeno, yes, it is nice to know the treatment has been effective and especially as it's my first outing, never having done any kind of treatment before. Apiguard seems ineffective and resistance has built up and MAQS sounds pretty heavy handed. Quite enjoying the challenge of getting them through winter.

Never been stung yet though so I might still discover I'm allergic and have to sell the lot! Heh.

Did you by any chance mean ApiSTAN not Apiguard?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Stuff of nightmares. Mites quaffing thymol, washed down with a nice sour OA cocktail. My money's on "Apivar". Which has to happen one day.

 

[snecklifter]

Did you by any chance mean ApiSTAN not Apiguard?

I did, my apologies. So many apithis and apithat to learn.

 

[Suzi Q]

I did, my apologies. So many apithis and apithat to learn.

Yes! then there's Apilife var and Apivar, not even similar ingredients, very confusing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stuff of nightmares. Mites quaffing thymol, washed down with a nice sour OA cocktail. My money's on "Apivar". Which has to happen one day.

Good argument - thymol versus a nice fluffy acaricide like Amitraz

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

JBM; I meant that was my bet on the confusion, not that I use the stuff. I have avoided pyrethroids etc so far and aim to continue to do so

 

[Dared]

Hi there,

My first year beekeeping.

Got a nuc in July last year which has stayed constant at 6 frames of bees no matter what.

Decided not to treat at all (taking a minimalist approach and only interfering where I think I need to) until now but following advice from local BKA decided to do OA treatment yesterday which seemed to go well.

Went back today and counted 50 mites on the entire board whereas I hadn't seen a single one in natural drop - I was almost getting to the point where I thought colony was varroa-free! Newbie beekeepers eh?

Anyway, opinions and advice from those with experience appreciated.

Is the drop a good thing meaning the treatment has worked?
Is it larger than "normal", whatever normal is?

I have added fondant and am considering adding a super frame into the brood chamber to create brood comb and naturally remove varroa - opinions?

Thanks!

Just a cautionary tale,

All year I have really been looking for Varroa in my hive but seen nothing (few bees with deformed wings). Did Thymovar early September and still nothing so was in two minds whether to bother with OA (Oxalic acid) in winter treatment. After reading all the threads on here decided better to ere on the side of caution, so applied OA about 4-5 days ago and today have a count of around 500 varroa on the board today!! Really shocked but as people have said it does not matter that you have not seen them THEY ARE THERE!!

Would strongly advise all newbies to use the treatments available in the first year or two then as experience improves decide if it is really necessary to treat. Lets face it we have enough to learn / worry about

 

[pargyle]

Just a cautionary tale,

All year I have really been looking for Varroa in my hive but seen nothing (few bees with deformed wings). Did Thymovar early September and still nothing so was in two minds whether to bother with OA (Oxalic acid) in winter treatment. After reading all the threads on here decided better to ere on the side of caution, so applied OA about 4-5 days ago and today have a count of around 500 varroa on the board today!! Really shocked but as people have said it does not matter that you have not seen them THEY ARE THERE!!

Would strongly advise all newbies to use the treatments available in the first year or two then as experience improves decide if it is really necessary to treat. Lets face it we have enough to learn / worry about

It demonstrates how unreliable just counting mites on a sticky board can be ...

More importantly, I would suggest (as another newbie) that you consider drone cell uncapping, alcohol washes and/or sugar rolling as varroa investigation. If you have varroa in your hive then these tests are far more reliable than than just looking for them.

Also, if you have DWV in your bees you are almost certain to have a Varroa problem and you need to look a little closer.

Hindsight is a 100% science but at least you are doing something positive now.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Just a cautionary tale,

All year I have really been looking for Varroa in my hive but seen nothing (few bees with deformed wings). Did Thymovar early September and still nothing so was in two minds whether to bother with OA (Oxalic acid) in winter treatment. After reading all the threads on here decided better to ere on the side of caution, so applied OA about 4-5 days ago and today have a count of around 500 varroa on the board today!! Really shocked but as people have said it does not matter that you have not seen them THEY ARE THERE!!

Would strongly advise all newbies to use the treatments available in the first year or two then as experience improves decide if it is really necessary to treat. Lets face it we have enough to learn / worry about

I think dared and I have met in previous posts but a big +1 from me. This was EXACTLY my experience, down to the number 500. I like to tell myself they picked them up after Apiguard but I cannot know that.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I've not down the count after OA on Sunday yet, I'll wait until Sunday, but I saw a very low mite drop after MAQS onto a sticky board, (in Sept).

Because I saw a low might drop, I was in two minds, whether to treat, and after local advice of local Beeks, they said, do it, even if you get a low drop, it's worth doing.

At Christmas, might drop over seven days onto a sticky board was 3 a day, so treated, quickly had a look on Monday, wow OA certinaly does the trick, a fair few mites on the inspection board. Count due on Sunday!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

JBM; I meant that was my bet on the confusion, not that I use the stuff. I have avoided pyrethroids etc so far and aim to continue to do so

Guessed that was the case - just couldn't resist underlining it for you

 

[snecklifter]

Just to update this. Checked today, just under one week on and had a count of around 150! So that's 200 in one week! Looks like they really came back strong after a slow start?

 

[Dared]

With having such a high count of mites should I belooking to do a second dose of OA in the near future or is that to much for the bees?

 

[Hivemaker.]

With having such a high count of mites should I belooking to do a second dose of OA in the near future or is that to much for the bees?

Don't treat them again with the trickle method, will do more harm than good, if sublimation, then it would be no problem.

 

[Dared]

Just a cautionary tale,

All year I have really been looking for Varroa in my hive but seen nothing (few bees with deformed wings). Did Thymovar early September and still nothing so was in two minds whether to bother with OA (Oxalic acid) in winter treatment. After reading all the threads on here decided better to ere on the side of caution, so applied OA about 4-5 days ago and today have a count of around 500 varroa on the board today!! Really shocked but as people have said it does not matter that you have not seen them THEY ARE THERE!!

Would strongly advise all newbies to use the treatments available in the first year or two then as experience improves decide if it is really necessary to treat. Lets face it we have enough to learn / worry about

Checked again today and drop around 10 so have I got the majority of the Varroa or is the OA not having so much effect? How long does it normally stay effective for?

 

[beeno]

Just to update this. Checked today, just under one week on and had a count of around 150! So that's 200 in one week! Looks like they really came back strong after a slow start?

One of my hives was 315 first day, but it was not treated in Aug.

 

[beeno]

Checked again today and drop around 10 so have I got the majority of the Varroa or is the OA not having so much effect? How long does it normally stay effective for?

Hi Dared,
I think Finman says that you will get a drop over 14 days. If I am wrong he will be along in a minute to correct me!

 

[Swarm]

He may be along but it will be quite some time.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It may be a few weeks before you see the full effects of the treatment

 

[einsteinagogo]

counted 326 mites on the sticky inspection board today, which have dropped over a period of 7 days after OA (trickle2) - so it works! (turned the board over today!). Had a very low drop after MAQS in Sept, and counted 3 a day, over 7 days recently at Christmas, so they've come from somewhere!