Shook swarm and Oxalic sublimation

[user 3509]

This has probably been covered before, but would it be sensible to sublimate a colony shortly after carrying out a shook swarm as the hive would be broodless, or would this have an adverse effect on the bees? How long after carrying out the shook swarm before sublimating?

 

[Plenty of honey]

I would say work on the usual protocol. It therefore will depend on how long it is before the queen starts laying and then subsequently, when that first brood will be capped over.
Certainly before that first brood is capped over but if youve done a shook swarm, i would leave it a few days to allow the colony to get on with comb building, i would personally wait at least two or three days, just to give a bit of time to allow them to get on with the rebuild.
The mites cant go anywhere(that isn't accessible by the vapour) until the brood is capped over. I can imagine its a bit worrying to give them a treatment just after putting them through the shook swarm process, but if you think it as a swarm, or a broodless colony, or in this case a shook swarm, its technically the same thing really. Prime vaping material.
Ive treated with VOA in nucs before and during mating of recently released virgin queens, as the brood on the frames I stuck in the box, finishes hatching out and have not noticed any effect, except clean bees. to me its a no brainer.

 

[For want of a better word]

Before and after ... to be sure.. to be very sure!

Nos da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What is this obsession with shook swarm lately - is what they've got at the BBKA contagious?

 

[Millet]

What is this obsession with shook swarm lately - is what they've got at the BBKA contagious?

. i'm going to shook swarm my bees in the next few day's just to get in the swing of things ready for the shook swarm onslaught.. Come swarm season..

 

[Hivemaker.]

What is this obsession with shook swarm lately - is what they've got at the BBKA contagious?

Shook swarms for EFB.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Shook swarms for EFB.

if your making regular nucleus colonies your always removing frames and replacing them with new ones. This has all got a bit crazy in my opinion. Why is everyone so hell bent on trashing perfectly good brood, when in reality its totally unnecessary.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Shook swarms for EFB.

According to the BBKA mob it's shook swarm for everything and should be done as a matter of course as early as possible in spring - no mention of EFB just an effective method of controlling varroa (as a side benefit)

 

[For want of a better word]

According to the BBKA mob it's shook swarm for everything and should be done as a matter of course as early as possible in spring - no mention of EFB just an effective method of controlling varroa (as a side benefit)

Why the suggestion as in OP to Vaporise with ApiPoxall after shaking the whole colony on a nice piece of astroturf... or am I missing something here?

Myttin da

 

[Into the lions den]

Shook swarming AND sublimation? Doubly fashionable stuff......... makes me shake my head.

Shook swarming may well give a rebound if timed correctly but it IS stressful. As that fashion becomes widespread expect a rebound of nosema. Doing it during the first major wave of brood is not something I would even consider.

But it does eliminate one major source of angst and guilt among some beekeepers...there will not be a serious early honey crop to deal with or be accused of stealing.

Also...when the bees are in a brood free cluster sublimation is not necessarily the best answer, a trickle...once....is enough to clobber the phoretic mites.

 

[oliver90owner]

Icing sugar and 'sugar rolling' the bees in it might be yet another alternative (no VMD on icing sugar yet?) to spending out on 'ApiPoxall' (as icanhopit calls it). Just need a funnel to shake bees into the 'sugar rolling' box, then run them back into the hive. Culling the first capped brood would/should mop up almost all remaining mites.

Not a sensible option for multiple hives, maybe. Time consuming and needing good timing and conditions after the shook swarm.

Just thrown in to save people being fleeced by the extortionate 'ApiPoxall' mob without falling foul of the law. Not done it myself, for several years, but it does work. This is not to be confused with 'sugar dusting', of course.

 

[For want of a better word]

Icing sugar and 'sugar rolling' the bees in it might be yet another alternative (no VMD on icing sugar yet?) to spending out on 'ApiPoxall' (as icanhopit calls it). Just need a funnel to shake bees into the 'sugar rolling' box, then run them back into the hive. Culling the first capped brood would/should mop up almost all remaining mites.

Not a sensible option for multiple hives, maybe. Time consuming and needing good timing and conditions after the shook swarm.

Just thrown in to save people being fleeced by the extortionate 'ApiPoxall' mob without falling foul of the law. Not done it myself, for several years, but it does work. This is not to be confused with 'sugar dusting', of course.

So we are back to the icing sugar possibly containing a pinch or three of oxalic acid as an anti caking agent.

I think I may go with the rhubarb leaf........

Yeghes da