Spring varroa treatment?

[nonstandard]

OK, I'm not sure what to do here.

I have overwintered two colonies both on 14 x 12's, I had a quick cursory inspection on Friday and both are queenright with brood and eggs; both are bringing in the pollen and there are signs of nectar too. Stores are good but one colony is much stronger than the other, the weaker one is only on about 4 frames of bees compared with 6 or more on the other.

Over the last week I have had the varroa boards in and the results are Strong colony no varroa drop, weaker colony 28 mites counted. this reflects the count that I did over the month of December, 6 and 75 respectively. I treated both hives with with Apiguard in September/October and Oxalic acid 2nd week in January.

The Beebase varroa calculator says that I need to do something with the higher reading colony over the next 3 months but states that "Monitoring mite-fall around the start or end of the brood rearing season can give poor accuracy. Results should be treated with caution."

My question is what should my next move be; I was wondering whether to do a 'shook swarm' in April or do I use a treatment? would a smaller colony respond to a 'shook swarm' or would it weaken them too much?

I might add that the chances are that I will be shortly surrounded by OSR. Also if the colony fails to perform I will consider requeening although the queen was very productive last year and came to me as a virgin with the bees as a swarm.

 

[Finman]

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Formic acid and thymol based stuffs are suitable in spring.

The colony is half size, so it needs half dose of acid or thymol.


one harsh way is kill the brood and shake bees off, but neither of your colonies are strong.

If you have a mesh floor, close them and use 5cm x 1 cm entrance.

Your boath hives are weak now.

 

[Finman]

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Restict the frame room to size what bees can occupye.
Put there a movable wall and enlarge the room later.
Formic acid and thymold affects better when the space is warm and gas does not spread into empty space.

 

[RoofTops]

and next year start the thymol in August and do the OA at the end of December.

 

[Finman]

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I have same kind of troubles. When colonies are strong enough, I make false swarms in June and clean colonies from varroa.

 

[nonstandard]

and next year start the thymol in August and do the OA at the end of December.

Yes Rooftops as a novice I was a little surprised when I had nearly missed the boat for thymol last autumn, I have just checked my records and found that I actually started thymol on the 24th Aug, still a bit late I know. Another novice mistake was that I was not expecting to have to treat with OA as my mentor does not, but a late mite drop count disproved that.

What bemuses me or should that be bee-muses me is that two hives of basically the same genetic make-up (one an AS from the other) in the same apiary and treated exactly the same should differ so much in their response to treatment.

 

[oliver90owner]

Try the dowsing rods. It may be that one is directly over a geopathic curtain line.

Cost you nothing more than a couple of old pen barrels and a couple of metal coat hangers.

Regards, RAB

 

[VEG]

I think the apiguard treatment varies from region to region. I treat mine with apiguard in october due to the very good balsam crop we get here. Have done it this way for the last 3/4 years and had no probs.

 

[nonstandard]

If I do as finman sugests and go down the thymol route again this spring obviously I need to have it over and done by the time the local OSR flowers but the daytime temp also needs to be high enough too.

I'm guessing here but surely by the time the temperature is anywhere near 15deg here in Derbyshire the OSR will be in flower and assuming the colony have built up sufficiently I run the risk of needing to super up while still within the 4-6 weeks treatment window.

 

[nonstandard]

Try the dowsing rods. It may be that one is directly over a geopathic curtain line.

Cost you nothing more than a couple of old pen barrels and a couple of metal coat hangers.

Regards, RAB

I've got some old braising rods in the shed and dry hands so cheaper still, has anyone got a spare goat I could sacrifice while I'm at it?

 

[oliver90owner]

The problems I had with using apiguard in the spring was a lack of brood for a period. Can't remember how long, but NBG for the OSR!

Regards, RAB

 

[Finman]

The problems I had with using apiguard in the spring was a lack of brood for a period. Can't remember how long, but NBG for the OSR!

Regards, RAB

i have heard much difficulties in brooding with spring treatment.

Problem is that there are only 4 frames of bees.

One solution is possible too. You may take off all brood. Then you handle the bees with oxalic acid. Then you take one frame of brood from another hive. But that another hive size is at its minimum level.

I think that terrarium heaters would help these small colonies.

 

[nottingham]

you could always do it the organic way. Then it won't slow the Queen down from laying eggs. You can only expect to kill 97% of the mites. You will never be 100% mite free.

Bee Vital Hive Cleaner http://goo.gl/2rXiC

Api Life Var http://goo.gl/wX2Uw

One thing I'm going to try this year is make Drone pheromone and put it in a mite trap.