swarm disease prevention

[beesleybees]

When hiving a new swarm, The general consensus is to no feed them for the first few days so that the use up and honey reserves and therefore locking away disease in the wax foundation

I currently have a few swarms that are hived. All arew currently broodless

Im a fan of hivemakers thymolated syrup and have given each of them a 1.5 pints. Now this has been shown to help control nosema and even kill a few varroa at the same time

could I also give them a dose of oxalic acid to control any varroa present at the same time as feeding thymol?

do you think this is overkill? Im just trying to give them the best start

 

[MuswellMetro]

When hiving a new swarm, The general consensus is to no feed them for the first few days so that the use up and honey reserves and therefore locking away disease in the wax foundation

I currently have a few swarms that are hived. All arew currently broodless

Im a fan of hivemakers thymolated syrup and have given each of them a 1.5 pints. Now this has been shown to help control nosema and even kill a few varroa at the same time

could I also give them a dose of oxalic acid to control any varroa present at the same time as feeding thymol?

do you think this is overkill? Im just trying to give them the best start

i use lactic acid spray before they have brood, if it is from an unknown source, and keep isolated until i can see capped and open brood ( EFB/AFB)

 

[susbees]

I'm not a fan of dowsing swarms with OA. Of the dozen or so I've housed this year from unknown sources only one, a cast, has had a drop in the first week and this was significant. As swarms are best with a board in to help them settle it's easy to monitor for three or four days then treat if necessary.

We are fortunate to be in a - touchwood - very low risk area for foulbroods but keeping an eye open on all brood is a good thing.

 

[Finman]

Im a fan of hivemakers thymolated syrup and have given each of them a 1.5 pints. Now this has been shown to help control nosema and even kill a few varroa at the same time

Hivemaker never meant it for summer. Nosema does not harm hives in summer and you spoil your honey.


Bull kakka. It does not help nosema because nosema is not in hives.

And in feeding it never kill mites

You should study better disease questions.

 

[Rosti]

As swarms are best with a board in to help them settle it's easy to monitor for three or four days then treat if necessary.

Board in and monitor (board in of course also helps with hive temperature and wax generation/drawing), if you can see a significant drop (that rate of drop will depend on the size of the swarm) then treat. If I treat then I do so as soon as I see eggs being laid. I wont treat until the queen is mated.

 

[beesleybees]

thanx for the replies

they are all hived in poly nucs so i guess i will just have to place them on a sheet of ply to help count varroa numbers