Oxalic Treatment and Timing

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So anyone like me who puts the board in and counts the mites before deciding to treatment

During that time when you ask it, you would trikcle all your hives.

There is no advantage to keep them untreated.

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I agree if you see mites treat no matter how many, I think Beebase needs to update it's count thing not to disalude beekeepers In thinking they don't need to treat
 
Glad I treated gale force winds and heavy rain this evening.

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I had my boards in for a week and most had very few or even none seen and a couple were a bit heavier. It's been very windy and raining so I believe the boards would of been well washed and dried a few times and the visible mite count inconclusive. Also as we know mites can move from hive to hive via drones come early summer so if one had heavy loading in an apiary I would treat them all regardless to try and ensure the loading was as low as I could possibly influence in the locality. Obviously I can't influence the wild bees in the area.
Anyway all done and dusted today. :sunning:
 
Thinking to treat tomorrow - It's around 3C tonight and tomorrow morning is looking like the coldest we'll have for a while.
I went to treat mine today, but they were all running around the top of about four of the broad frames, not clustered down in between "as it says in the books" will have a look in a couple of weeks.
 
I went to treat mine today, but they were all running around the top of about four of the broad frames, not clustered down in between "as it says in the books" will have a look in a couple of weeks.

Yes mine too but no issues in treating them. Used this method /s today.

Puff of smoke, remove brick or release strap, remove roof, insulation and empty super, second puff of smoke, lift crown board at rear to almost vertical, wife passes freshly loaded syringe of room temperature oxalic solution, apply 5 ml per seam of bees, lower crown board and rebuild hive. If loads of bees milling about on frame tops another puff of smoke will send most of them down between the frames long enough to apply the oxalic.
If adding fondant prepare it for application by slitting film before removing crown board, after applying acid puff of smoke to clear top of frames, add fondant, add empty super, tap bees off crown board in, another puff of smoke, add insulation, crown board and roof. My insulation is cut from space blanket and shoved in pillow case so it moulds over fondant without squashing bees.
Alternatively add fondant over feed hole in crown board, ensuring its above cluster area by turning crown board as appropriate, then super, your chosen type of insulation and roof.
30 - 90 seconds with the crown board lifted per hive depending on if adding fondant or not.
Not in the books as such but it's my variation on a theme and works for me, other opinions will be along shortly.
If the mild weather continues brooding will start in earnest soon and the mites will be tucked up safely sucking the life out of the larvae.

Bit more smoke than I usually use but it moves them.
 
I can think of several scenarios .



I believe that. Scenario thinking, jep. Nice.

3 is good. 2 is too less, and 4 is too much. That's why holy trinity.


picture_scenario_planning.gif

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Supposed to be getting colder with less winds by Wednesday so I'll be planning the afternoon work skive to get mine treated :)

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Treated mine yesterday when the sun was out after a very frosty night. I was pleasantly surprised to see how good things looked in terms of stores and activity. Hopefully we can survive this wet spell, see a period of calmer weather and look forward to a good start to the season. Or is optimism tempting fate!!!
 
Unless we get a period (at least 2 weeks) of cold weather when I can guarantee there will be no brood, I wont be using OA.
I righted a Nuc this morning that had blown over and it was 'bouncing' with bees and brood. If the rest of my hives are in a similar state of progress and I poured OA over them I would be doing more harm than good.
S
 
Talking about OA and nucs. I have not done my nuc yet as it is the only hive which has brought in late pollen and it was very noisy inside the other night. Sounded like bees were building comb! My polyhive was broodless and I therefore rightly or wrongly concluded that my wooden hives would be in the same condition. Sixty drop so far on one that was treated with Thymol in late August - so worth it in my book. Brood production is going to increase rather than decrease this time of the year unless we are in for a guaranteed cold spell!
 

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