Spring varoa treatment

[Gilberdyke John]

I was wondering where I'd left my jar of Wintergreen.

Break out the bottle of Sloans Linament

 

[Podilia]

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Combs will stink really much thymol before yield , if you use it on spring.

The first yield is expected to be in July. During several weeks after the cleance flight colonies don't grow. Until July their nests will be rebuilt, new combs will be added. There must be no any residues or smell of thymol.

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And when is cleansing flight time there? What are your temperatures now there?

Usually at the end of March, sometimes earlier.
Now it is -2 +2°C and -5 at night.

If you do not have during cleansing flight much capped brood, you may use oxalic acid trickling.

Oxalic acid is another treatment which I can use. I don't like it though. I heard the opinion that it is bad for queens.

Ukraina is a big country and many climates there. IT has cultivated much turnip rape, but I do not know how it is now.
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Now there is a lot of corn, wheat, soy bean, sunflower. Smaller areas are for buckwheat, canola, sugar beet etc.

 

[Finman]

Oxalic acid is another treatment which I can use. I don't like it though. I heard the opinion that it is bad for queens.
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I have cleansing flights in south Finland at first half of March.

You do not like oxalic trickling in winter. It makes no harm to queens. 100% of Finnish beekeepers use oxalic trickling in November. When there are no brood it is very efficient. And very safe to the beekeepers.

Very many in Finland trickle hives second time just after cleansing fligt .

About thymol in spring... I have not read that any use it in spring. Formic acid is used. It kills 1/4 mites under cappings.

. Ukraine is famous beekeeping country. Don't you have there recommendations what to do with mites?
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[Finman]

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Winter is best time to kill mites when there is no brood. Oxalic acid trickling is just for that.

 

[Podilia]

I have cleansing flights in south Finland at first half of March.

There may be snow or good warm weather here at that time.

You do not like oxalic trickling in winter. It makes no harm to queens. 100% of Finnish beekeepers use oxalic trickling in November. When there are no brood it is very efficient. And very safe to the beekeepers.

Very many in Finland trickle hives second time just after cleansing fligt .

I'll try it in several hives. What do you mean "trickling"? We use it as a spray, spraying every frame with bees.

. Ukraine is famous beekeeping country. Don't you have there recommendations what to do with mites?
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The only recomendation here is killiing mites with all possible weapon. I'm searching for organic methods. Our beekeepers use the strongest treatment - stripes with fluvalinate in autumn, sometimes in spring. In addition, amitraz in late autumn. They consider themselves to be big professionals. Ususally they apply three kind of treatment to be sure that all mites are killed in all colonies. Some people, ingnoring recomendations, leave stripes for winter - you can see that in youtube. The majority of our beekeepers are sceptical about organic methods. Nobody wants to lose colonies. So watching their videos how they get strips in hives in spring and then show bottoms without mites - look we have health colonies without mites! - I think they don't care about chemical residues in wax and honey because honey is tested only for antibiotics.

 

[Finman]

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Trickling was invented in Italy 20 years ago. Since then it has been used widely in the world. You may use it only to broodless hives. Efficacy is in theory 96%.
Mixture kills larvae, so do not use it in hives which have brood.

You can kill easily mites from swarms.

The stuff for 3-5 colonies:

Sugar 100 g
Water 100 g
Oxalic acid 7.5 g

Dribble 30 ml mixture over bees in winter in one box hive and 50 ml for 2 box hive.

That is the basic.