The dreaded Varroa???

[s&n]

Hi all. I've one hive with a few too many unwanted guests (varroa)!! What is the quickest method of at this time of year??. This is a strong 2012 queen that I was going to send to a late OSR crop. Thanks is advance.

 

[mark s]

You could try giving them a good dusting of icing sugar

 

[VEG]

you say a few how many is that?
Have you put the monitoring tray in to see the mite drop?

 

[Magners Bee]

I'm also interested in what constitutes 'a few varroa' as we have found our first mites. We have a solid floor so don't know how to check for varroa on that floor.

However, we removed some drone cells and found 3 mites on a clump of cells. We opened 3 other drone cells and found only one mite on one of the drones. The other two were clean.

All our hatching bees seem to be healthy.

How do we check for mites on a solid floor?

With this small number, would anyone recommend dusting with icing sugar at this early stage?

 

[BeeMoustashe]

Sticky board on floor. Beebase has a handy calculator of estimated mite levels in the colony based on your method of measuring varroa. Sugar dusting won't hurt, but it's not regarded as all that effective. However, if you have a high load when you have honey supers on, your treatment choice is limited. Any port in a storm...

 

[REDWOOD]

Varroa-Gard is recommended by many and suppose to keep varroa down to a minimum, It's a good hive sanitizes that is DEFRA approved

 

[s&n]

I haven't done an actual coun, but was marking the Queen and she had 1 on her back. I also saw 2 bees with DWV, so I removed some drone brood and there was a lot in there. I would suspect when I see DWV that the count will be high.
Could I use Thymol crystal? There is a super on at the moment that I can't remove as there is Brood up there too. There is also about 6 frames of brood to emerge in the brood box.

 

[hiveabee]

Varroa-Gard is recommended by many and suppose to keep varroa down to a minimum, It's a good hive sanitizes that is DEFRA approved

I use Varroa gard and I have found it to be very good. The method I use to administer it is to sprinkle a line of it along the tops of the brood frames before I close up after an inspection. I have also used the tray they provide with it,on the floor of the hive. During a quick look to day between showers I had a look at a patch of drone cells (20 ish) didnt find any of the little beggars.

 

[VEG]

If you are using the super for brood as well then there is nowt to stop you using apiguard as long as there are no supers on that you are using to get honey.

 

[Baggyone]

If you can see mites on bees you have a problem. Icing sugar may help but if your on a solid floor it's pointless.

Right now think bees or honey. I go with bees and therefore it's supers (not shallow with brood in) off and a thymol based treatment in. Works good with solid floors.
Do something or face the possibility of losing the colony before usual treatment time.

Baggy

 

[s&n]

It's bees first.. Think I'll go with Apigard for the month and maybe put that hive to heather later on. If they put honey in the super(Q has been put down in brood box), Ill use it to feed bees. Thanks to all for your help.

 

[VEG]

you will find that apiguard will put the queen off lay for a bit as this usually happens so they may not be up to strength to go to the heather. But better to have live bees than dead ones.

 

[REDWOOD]

IMHO I would ditch the solid floor now

 

[mbc]

Drone brood culling is effective and doesnt risk contaminating honey, its my method of choice at this time of year if something needs to be done.

 

[richardbees]

I agree with Baggy, take any honey supers off and treat with apiguard.