Oxalic with supers on.

[Red Bee]

Has anyone seen Kamon Reynolds YouTube video? Oxalic can be used with supers on in USA.

 

[Apple]

Repetition and deviation..... would not do well on "Just a Minute"

George, stick to the rhubarb leaves!

Chons da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Has anyone seen Kamon Reynolds YouTube video? Oxalic can be used with supers on in USA.

You can marry a twelve year old in the USA - doesn't mean it's right or sensible.

There was also someone who used to frequent this forum who thought it was fine to vape while the supers were on.

 

[GuyNir]

Doesn’t make much sense. With supers on, you usually have lots of sealed brood, no?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Doesn’t make much sense.

Sense ws never their strong point

 

[Curly green finger's]

Crazy idea, I'm not even watching the video

 

[ericbeaumont]

Kamon spent slightly more than half the video describing the EPA decision and moved onto the news that Randy Oliver has cancer of the tongue, and that nosema hijacks iron which is then ingested by bees.

His view was that with plenty of sealed brood there would be no point in treating in season, and that anyway, he'd be too busy to do it.

The EPA decision is in the first 5 pages of this doc. and a request to amend labelling regs. in this doc.

GB seems to be the last to arrive at the party of common sense.

 

[Apple]

You can marry a twelve year old in the USA - doesn't mean it's right or sensible.

 

[DorsetNewBee]

Apologies if I am posting this query in the wrong section, I am confused by all the helpful but contradictory advice I am getting from local beekeepers. I. posted before about the fact that a swarm turned up in my brand new hive last June before I had begun any beekeeping. courses so I have had to learn quickly and have been reading and watching videos and asking advice everywhere. My bees seem to have survived the winter and are flying on warm days, but I still haven't opened it up as it is still cold here. Local experts range from saying Leave them alone and do nothing for now (they have fondant still), open up the hive now and treat for varroa with oxalic acid (which I have ready to use, in liquid form), check the bottom board for signs of mites (I have done this and can't see any at all), or one beekeeper who has kept bees for 40 years says she has never ever treated for varroa. Bees seem to be taking pollen into the hive, I just have a brood box, I took no honey last year, just keen to do the right thing but all the incredibly welcome advice means I can't make up my mind as to what, if anything, I should do next. Anyone got any advice for me please?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Plenty of time before needing to open up
Far too late to trickle Oxalic Acid I'm afraid, I advise you try another method of mite control.
#I wonder how many colonies have died, and how often. in the 40 years she's had bees?

 

[Repwoc]

#I wonder how mqny colonies have died, and how often.

Once each?

 

[ericbeaumont]

I am confused by all the helpful but contradictory advice I am getting from local beekeepers.

Situation normal.

As JBM said, too late to trickle OA as bees will have brood, varroa will be inside the cells and OA won't penetrate cell cappings.

Useful rule: open a hive for a reason. As they're flying, fondant is on top and pollen is going in, leave them until it's warmer; when that warmer spell begins is unknown.

Did you treat for varroa last year?

 

[gmonag]

They are all correct and also all wrong. Just like everyone here.

 

[Apple]

Wait untill it is T shirt weather... and the rhubarb is in full leaf.

Then slip a rhubarb leaf on top of the frames once you have done a quick inspection.. OA in the leaf will infuse the hive as bees remove it and any varroa will get a dose and hopefully die!

NO it is not 1st April
Gol Piran Lowen

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As PT Barnum said
" every circus must have it's clown"

 

[BugsInABox]

As PT Barnum said
" every circus must have it's clown"

Ignore Apple (this time) - he should have added a devil emoji.

 

[DorsetNewBee]

Situation normal.

As JBM said, too late to trickle OA as bees will have brood, varroa will be inside the cells and OA won't penetrate cell cappings.

Useful rule: open a hive for a reason. As they're flying, fondant is on top and pollen is going in, leave them until it's warmer; when that warmer spell begins is unknown.

Did you treat for varroa last year?

I didn't treat for varroa last year, on the advice of one local beekeeper who runs teaching courses and I spent a day with him last summer; he told me to wait till January to use oxalic acid. But in Jan was too cold and wet to open hive so he told me to do it now. My friend who has never treated for varroa has only ever lost one colony in 40 years and that was to wasps, this last autumn. Thank you everyone for all your replies.

 

[Mint Bee]

Dorset New Bee

Read and read and then read a bit more. Question everything you read and ask is it for the bee's benefit or for for the beekeepers. Discard 3/4 of the information you have read because it's outdated, based on poor science or just generally crap advice all passed on as the only true way of beekeeping. When discussing honey harvests and overwinter survival rates take figures with a pinch of salt. When they sound unbelievable they probably are.

Work out a strategy for you and your location. Start opening the hive once its warm enough (probably late March / early April for you but weather dependent) and then potentially perform regular inspections until swarming is less likely (July ish). If they are lacking in food feed them, if they are lacking in space add a super, check varroa levels and treat as needed. Work with the bees and the weather conditions rather than to a strict calendar for feeding, putting supers on / harvesting and treating.

Read and search the forum. it is an excellent source of information and guidance. The majority of the guidance on here is constructive, but ultimately it depends on where you live and your preferred approach to keeping bees. You can soon work out who to take notice of and who to skip over.

I know this is a great oversimplification, but does get easier, promise!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ignore Apple (this time) - he should have added a devil emoji.

I think you can most of the time.

 

[hemo]

I didn't treat for varroa last year, on the advice of one local beekeeper who runs teaching courses and I spent a day with him last summer; he told me to wait till January to use oxalic acid. But in Jan was too cold and wet to open hive so he told me to do it now. My friend who has never treated for varroa has only ever lost one colony in 40 years and that was to wasps, this last autumn. Thank you everyone for all your replies.

That is totally irresponsible for him to advise you in that way unless you are 100% sure in your knowledge that the mite load is very very low, did you monitor with sugar rolls to test any mite load ?
Your bees aren't his bees so unless he also monitored them he would have no way of knowing either.

I may well get flak for this but sounds more like the fool, a bit harsh to be condoning a new/newish beek so my apologies. More naively following to the tune of the pied piper, the experienced guy should have known better then to lead someone up the garden path.