Still worried about varroa

[BKF Admin]

all the information possible needs to be available, at hand, to make a sensible suggestion for any particular problem.

Regards, RAB

This is so important when asking for advice.

I would go as far as to say its the most important thing on the forum.

The more information you give (Including putting your location in your control panel !!) the more replies and help you will get.

There is nothing worse than trying to answer a question only for the goalposts to be moved when the original poster replies.

It has happened to me a few times and makes you feel and look a right charley.

I think I may even do a sticky post telling new members to do the above.

 

[Bead]

I've completed a course of Apiguard and the mites are still dropping at 25-30 a day. Mentor has suggested running a course of Apistan to clear up some more (give the bees a rest from the thymol) then treat with oxalic in the New Year.

 

[Bead]

A question for regular users of Hiveclean. I have the single dose sachets, which came without any instructions, so watched one of the 'How to Use' vids. My national hive is set up with frames in BB and super (no QE) to give them a bit more space. Should I treat with one sachet for the BB and another for the super frames? Both are full of bees.

PS Complete hive is: mesh floor, BB, super (both fully framed), crown board with feeder and empty super, roof.

 

[rowbow]

I only use hiveclean through the warmer month's once a week, it must be at body temprature (I would not like a cold shower) the object as I see it is to make the bee's clean them selves of the mites (it's worked for me),being as you are not using a QE the Q could and most probably will move into the super to lay egg's if thay let her ie brood & half, use a sachet per box, it's the bee's you must get the hive clean on not the frames.
My mite drop is very low, in Sept I used apiguard two sachet's per hive OMF closed crown board closed max drop at any time 10/15 at the moment zero.

John

 

[MuswellMetro]

I've completed a course of Apiguard and the mites are still dropping at 25-30 a day. Mentor has suggested running a course of Apistan to clear up some more (give the bees a rest from the thymol) then treat with oxalic in the New Year.

see similar problems last year, john is an entomologist at imperial college london

http://hertsbees.squarespace.com/december-2009/2009/11/30/varroa-problems-part-2.html

 

[Skyhook]

see similar problems last year, john is an entomologist at imperial college london

http://hertsbees.squarespace.com/december-2009/2009/11/30/varroa-problems-part-2.html

Interesting post. My latest update is that I took the apiguard off after 6 1/2 weeks, at which point they were dropping about 40 or 50 a day. Now, 5 days later, I have had 60 in the preceeding 24 hours. I've sent off for apistan, which I see worked for herts bees. I'll post with the results of that when I get it.

HM is now back in lay- from the state of the eggs and larvae seen yesterday, I suspect she started laying the minute the apiguard came out.

I think I may have identified the basic schoolboy error by which I prevented the apiguard from working. I have been monitoring the mite drop by the obvious expedient of taking the floor out every evening, counting the mites, cleaning it and putting it back. Would I be right in thinking this was not helpful to the situation?

 

[RoofTops]

I think I may have identified the basic schoolboy error by which I prevented the apiguard from working. I have been monitoring the mite drop by the obvious expedient of taking the floor out every evening, counting the mites, cleaning it and putting it back. Would I be right in thinking this was not helpful to the situation?

Taking the floor out or varroa tray out? If varroa tray you are doing it correctly, if the floor, and it is a solid floor you cannot reliably count mites on a solid floor as the bees will clean it and some mites which land alive will wander off.

 

[Skyhook]

Taking the floor out or varroa tray out? If varroa tray you are doing it correctly, if the floor, and it is a solid floor you cannot reliably count mites on a solid floor as the bees will clean it and some mites which land alive will wander off.

Sorry, varroa tray. I thought I'd isolated the problem as being my doing that and thus preventing the concentration from building up. If that was correct procedure, then I still dont know why it didn't work.