Safety first? or an unnecessary faff?

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Curley

House Bee
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
364
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7
Location
Wilts
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
8
I'm looking to trickle treat my one hive with oxalic next week. So tomorrow I plan to put the inspection board in to get a varroa count and also to try and judge where the cluster is. I'll be clearing the underfloor entrance with the hook on my hive tool (in case of a dead bee build up) and hefting to see if I need to get some fondant in for next week.

Do I suit up or not ?

(I will be suiting up when doing the oxalic after reading some accounts on here!)


Supplementary Question: How DO you tell when the bees are broodless?
( I've searched the forum and found plenty of references saying to do the oxalic when broodless and I'm sure the info I want is in there somewhere but my google foo skills aren't up to framing the right question.)
 
Yep, if scraping the floor then at least wear a veil. They are quicker than you are!
E
 
Walked around the home hives yesterday - all quiet removed the roff on one to check if they have used any fondant (the only one with fondant on at the moment due to them not taking that much syrup down and being a very strong colony) and the bees in the hive next door came tumbling out - so yes, at least a veil would be wise - too late to put a suit on after you've been stung
 
Walked around the home hives yesterday - all quiet removed the roff on one to check if they have used any fondant (the only one with fondant on at the moment due to them not taking that much syrup down and being a very strong colony) and the bees in the hive next door came tumbling out - so yes, at least a veil would be wise - too late to put a suit on after you've been stung

never had the neigbour hive scramble ,, but at this time of year give ours 10 seconds and you are under attack... really docile come spring ...
 
Thanks all. Suit it is.

:thanks: and Happy Christmas!:xmas-smiley-033::xmas-smiley-033:
 
I'm looking to trickle treat my one hive with oxalic next week. So tomorrow I plan to put the inspection board in to get a varroa count and also to try and judge where the cluster is. I'll be clearing the underfloor entrance with the hook on my hive tool (in case of a dead bee build up) and hefting to see if I need to get some fondant in for next week.
Do I suit up or not ? (I will be suiting up when doing the oxalic after reading some accounts on here!)
Supplementary Question: How DO you tell when the bees are broodless?
( I've searched the forum and found plenty of references saying to do the oxalic when broodless and I'm sure the info I want is in there somewhere but my google foo skills aren't up to framing the right question.)

Why bother sniffing around for clues about varroa level when treating with oxalic is the thing to do anyway (See other thread today)? There WILL be phoretic mites on the bees so what else do you need to know.
 
H Curley,
The only way to know if you are broodless is to look. Pull a frame in the centre of the broodnest, hold the frame over the box as you don't want to lose the queen, and blow gently on the bees to move them. Make sure you smoke them, as they have a tendancy to well out of the box when being disturbed this time of the year. This is something most beeks on this forum would not advocate, but I always do it on one hive and extrapolate from there. Good move to be suited up and lots of luck with the OA trickle.
 
H Curley,
The only way to know if you are broodless is to look. Pull a frame in the centre of the broodnest, hold the frame over the box as you don't want to lose the queen, and blow gently on the bees to move them. Make sure you smoke them, as they have a tendancy to well out of the box when being disturbed this time of the year. This is something most beeks on this forum would not advocate, but I always do it on one hive and extrapolate from there. Good move to be suited up and lots of luck with the OA trickle.

I do not look.

I wait until a couple of weeks of cold temperatures and do it then. tight cluster, reduced chance of brood, more effective treatment.... roll on mid-January!!
 
H Curley,
The only way to know if you are broodless is to look. Pull a frame in the centre of the broodnest, hold the frame over the box as you don't want to lose the queen, and blow gently on the bees to move them. Make sure you smoke them, as they have a tendancy to well out of the box when being disturbed this time of the year. This is something most beeks on this forum would not advocate, but I always do it on one hive and extrapolate from there. Good move to be suited up and lots of luck with the OA trickle.

This is the last thing you want to do - unless you want to kill your bees.Stupid idea - don't even think about it.


I's a bit of a gamble about how much brood is there - the reason for doing it midwinter is there will be a heck of a lot less brood there if any. Just crack the crownboard and remove, quickly squirt 5ml OA syrup per seam at the same time as glimpsing to see if you can judge the stores situation then close up. Should take less time than it took you to read this.
Then leave your bees in peace apart from Fondant over the feeder hole if needs be.
 
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I total agree with Jenkinsbrynmair, do not disturb your bees, just do Ox' acid apply fondant if necessary and close up. With the weather we are having there is likely to be brood throughout the winter, so its a compromise .

Mike
 
I do not look.

I wait until a couple of weeks of cold temperatures and do it then. tight cluster, reduced chance of brood, more effective treatment.... roll on mid-January!!

Hi Pete,
Yes, that was the way to do it, but so far in my locale there has not been any cold weather to speak of. However, some researchers have found that bees at least in southern England are more likely to be broodless before Christmas and start brooding again in January. I believe that could very well be true for my locale as they usually collect pollen in January. In addition to taking on board this information I check one hive to make sure. Since you don't check you are HOPING that the treatment is more effective and if you don't get any cold weather then you have definitely missed the boat. Hey ho each to their own. Merry Christmas
 
Hi Pete,
Yes, that was the way to do it, but so far in my locale there has not been any cold weather to speak of. However, some researchers have found that bees at least in southern England are more likely to be broodless before Christmas and start brooding again in January. I believe that could very well be true for my locale as they usually collect pollen in January. In addition to taking on board this information I check one hive to make sure. Since you don't check you are HOPING that the treatment is more effective and if you don't get any cold weather then you have definitely missed the boat. Hey ho each to their own. Merry Christmas
Actually found the same in aberdeenshire mobus was the researcher I believe... The little so and sos have a plan to have a partya round Dec 23 and its back to work in january..
 
Thanks again folks - nice to get confirmation there is no magic way to tell if they are broodless. Hefted yesterday and they still feel 'nailed down' - so no fondant required. Small amount of cappings but no dead bees when I cleared the entrance. Couldn't hear a peep out of them mind.
 

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