Put MAQ's on last night

[herefordshirehoney]

Think im going to take mine off tonight a day early as new queens expected tomorrow and want to get smell gone for sunday requeening.

 

[itma]

I'm not too sure about the advice to keep entrances fully open.


I suspect that may be ABSOLUTELY necessary for those using solid floors (the majority of North American hives?).
And to keep things simple (not least for the colonial cousins), the advice would have to be plain and not open to (mis)interpretation.

A note about the following American quote -- a "bottom board entrance" or "bottom entrance" is just a conventional (like a standard UK National hive) entrance.

Ask yourself - do these guys routinely use open mesh ("screen") floors:

#4 Screen Bottom Boards
Q) Should I leave the Screen Bottom open or close it off?
A) There was only one trial run so far with screen bottom boards open, by Randy Oliver
(www.scientificbeekeeping.com). He published the results in the February 2011 issue of American Bee Journal. There was a 4 to 5 percent reduction in efficacy over a solid bottom board, however, both open screen and solid bottom boards saw over 90 percent drop in mite loads, so it is basically up to the beekeeper.

#5 Additional entrances, cracks in the equipment.
Q) Should I close off all entrances except the fully open bottom board entrance?
A) The fully open bottom entrance should be seen as meeting the minimum ventilation
need. Having additional entrances does not seem to affect the efficacy of the treatment. Adequate ventilation is critical with this product. For 2 brood chamber colonies some beekeepers slide back the second story to create a temporary full width entrance, and then slide the boxes back square sometime after the first 3 days.

http://datcp.wi.gov/uploads/Farms/pdf/MAQSTop10FAQ.pdf

The instructions say that a fully-open entrance is the minimum ventilation.
That's the minimum with a solid floor.

Colonies require adequate access to fresh air during treatment. An entrance must be provided that is the full width of the hive, typically the bottom board en- trance. The bottom hive entrance needs to be fully open (full width of the hive and a minimum height of 1.3cm) for the entire duration of treatment (7days). En- trance reducers must be removed to prevent excessive damage to colonies. Disturb colony activity as little as possible during the application process.

http://www.maqs.co.uk/uploads/1/4/3/7/14371138/uk-packaging_leaflet-a4.pdf
I interpret their instruction as being based on a solid floor... not an OMF !

From winter experience, we know that with the floor open, the size of the entrance does not much affect the ventilation of the hive.



Certainly, the strips do 'go off with a bang' and I suspect that we might learn to do something to moderate the initial surge (first couple of days in a punctured poly bag?)

After the initial surge, I cannot see that (with an open mesh floor) there can be any harm at all in reducing the entrance.
And if your colony is under attack from wasps, you will harm the colony by not reducing it.



If you want to use MAQS, and want to have the entrance fully open -- don't treat (with MAQS) at peak robbing season!

 

[thebhoy]

Good points ITMA, thanks.

Have reduced the entrances in the poly hives this morning and also put cover over them this morning.

Will put entrance blocks in tonight when I get home from work..or may rush home at lunch time or finish early

Another point from this morning opening of hives was that the bees were now walking on /over the strips indicating a reduction on the vapour being given off.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Do you think it's the flying bees that are more likely to be killed by the treatment? If so, any idea why? Would it be just that they're near the end of their lives and the treatment tips the balance?

(Just wondering, as you've said the frames are well covered by bees)

 

[clv101]

How many bees are being killed 1-2%? If so, that's no big deal... especially if it's older bees that were weak, likely to die soon anyway. However, if it's a random 1-2% it's slightly more worrying, as presumably it means the a 1-2% chance the queen could be killed. It's a small chance though.
We'll be using Apiguard again this year, but certainly interested in the pros and cons.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would note that these strips are likely sized for Langstroths. 14x12 should not be any different but a single deep brood National with very hot weather might just cause a bit more concern than above.

The variable action is likely why I don't use my Nassenheiders very often? Certainly can kill varroa efficiently.

RAB

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Just been and removed maqs after 6 days looking good. No sign of dead but on full exam definitely brood that's been removed. One hive laying already. I'm requeening Sunday on two hives hence why I needed to get it off so smell disperses.

I use swienty Langstroth polys only 1beespace hive entrance had it open 6 days, plus put boards on but left roughly 1 inch vent gap. Lots of wasps trying to gain entrance so put entrance down to 1-3 beespaces to help.

 

[thebhoy]

Day three and a few more dead /dying bees outside one hive...the one that appeared to take the biggest hit.
Bees appeared to be more mobile last night with high volumes around entrances defending them ..and I reduced entrances down further to help them guard against wasp attacks.

All three hives are more active today, less of a stupor, biggest hive plenty of flyers and pollen going in....appears to have suffered least perhaps due to it being 2 x bb and 4 supers so plenty of space and room for the fumes to spread unlike the single bb a single super hives.

Bees back up in the supers tonight after keeping out of them the past few days.

A few more days to go before being able to check that queens survived.

 

[Finman]

.

Here is a good text about formic acid treatment

http://www.apinovar.com/articles/flash.en.html

Flash treatment was needed because queen losses appeared when out temp rised over 25C.
Long time evaporation is hazard because weather and forecast may change. Forecast acts better for next 3 days.

Note that with brood efficacy is not 96%, and often it is 70-80%. That is why winter treatment with oxalic acid tricling is worth to do.

.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Think im going to take mine off tonight a day early as new queens expected tomorrow and want to get smell gone for sunday requeening.

That could be the start of creating resistant varroa akin to the problems created by people who do not finish the course when prescribed antibiotics.

 

[Finman]

That could be the start of creating resistant varroa akin to the problems created by people who do not finish the course when prescribed antibiotics.

Jep. Varroa destructor appeared 100 years ago and now it is in danger to vanish by 2-hive owners. Pang!

Save the mites!!! Money collection to save the mites.

£50 to count FI00 200 674 893

.

 

[oliver90owner]

That could be the start of creating resistant varroa akin to the problems created by people who do not finish the course when prescribed antibiotics.

Not very likely this week when it hasn't happened in all the time it has been in use. Much like thymol and oxalic. In fact, as an organic acid, very much like oxalic.

Single blast treatments have been used over long periods of time.

 

[greengumbo]

Just a quick note to say my two treated hives are back up and laying like mad.

No varroa drop from either.

 

[itma]

I would note that these strips are likely sized for Langstroths. 14x12 should not be any different but a single deep brood National with very hot weather might just cause a bit more concern than above.

No doubt about that at all.


Having bought MAQS to have available in case of a mid-season problem (which didn't happen), I've decided to use my two packs before they go out of date.

Daytime air maxima have been around 21C with strong sun on the hives for the first half of the day.
Put two strips on a cedar 14x12 with 4 supers. No bearding.
Put one strip on a cedar 14x12 with 2 supers. No bearding.
Put one strip on a poly 14x12 with one super. No bearding, but curiously much greater 'scorching' of the grass near the entrance than with the cedars. (It does get fractionally more sun than the two test cedars.)
All reduced entrances (I applied late afternoon and opened up the entrance on the 2-strip hive for the first night only.)
All mesh floors, no boards installed.
No more than a couple of dozen dead bees in evidence outside the hives (but there are a few wasps around).

Randy Oliver (scientificbeekeeping dot com) trialled using single strips (on his Langstroths) and recorded only fractionally less mite kill than with 2 strips.

Apart from the things being sealed-in as pairs, I must say that I reckon a single strip should do the business on a single-brood no-supers national - especially if you are {only} firefighting or expecting to follow through in any case with oxalic in midwinter.
Totally unlike Apiguard, this product may actually be better to be used when there are supers (giving extra volume) on the hive.