too late to add a third apiguard tray?

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Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
234
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2
Location
South Yorkshire
Hive Type
14x12
Number of Hives
1 Nat & 1 WBC
Hi
I removed the final apiguard trays on Saturday and went back today just to check the mite count after three days post treatment. One hive I think is fine (9 mites...is this OK?). The other hive = 127 in 3 days (not good!). Is it too late to to put on a third tray or is it not a good idea? I have seen very few all year...on went the treatment a month ago 'just in case' and down came the mites...hundreds of them

What would you recommend? (Very nervous about opening them up in winter to do the oxylic thing in case i chill the bees but will do what needs to be done.)
 
Hi
I removed the final apiguard trays on Saturday and went back today just to check the mite count after three days post treatment. One hive I think is fine (9 mites...is this OK?). The other hive = 127 in 3 days (not good!). Is it too late to to put on a third tray or is it not a good idea? I have seen very few all year...on went the treatment a month ago 'just in case' and down came the mites...hundreds of them

What would you recommend? (Very nervous about opening them up in winter to do the oxylic thing in case i chill the bees but will do what needs to be done.)

OA is going in mine, first nice day of the NY.
 
I'm no expert Warts, I used ApiLife Var accoding to instructions on the pkt.

Next is OA in the NY

If you stop HM laying, you have no bees come the Spring.

As someone said here recently. a few bees with a few mites is better than no bees.
 
well given you need 2 weeks above 15'C and we have 16+ still and a rumoured 26 early next week in Yorks I think you could give it a go, shot to nothing. The warm october has probably extended the brood period so you have a chance to catch that as it emerges.
WRT boxing day oxalic, remember you are taking the top off not lifting frames, its over in a couple of minutes tops, the wood / insulation wont have cooled much at all so they only have a bit of air to warm up again, no big deal for the the girls.
 
well given you need 2 weeks above 15'C and we have 16+ still and a rumoured 26 early next week in Yorks I think you could give it a go, shot to nothing. The warm october has probably extended the brood period so you have a chance to catch that as it emerges.
WRT boxing day oxalic, remember you are taking the top off not lifting frames, its over in a couple of minutes tops, the wood / insulation wont have cooled much at all so they only have a bit of air to warm up again, no big deal for the the girls.

Thanks Rosti

just a quick question...how does it work re oxalic if the bees are on a double brood box (I am assuming that if the bees are 'below' I have to 'get at 'em'?) or am I missing the point (if so sorry!)
 
No you are not missing the point, when I got inspected this year the SBI and I debated this point on whether 14x12 deserved 7ml rather than 5ml per seam. We bottled it and decided we were both leaving it at 5ml. If you are on double brood box I go for 5ml/seam but would just make sure your frames are absolutely aligned so there is a chance of geting OA toward the bottom of the ball
 
I'd be surprised if you have a double brood full of bees in the NY.

Thats a lot of bees.
 
I'd be surprised if you have a double brood full of bees in the NY.

Thats a lot of bees.

Yep, agreed SB but if the late summer brood space is based on 2 boxes then you would have more over wintering bees would you not? Not full boxes of course but 'more'. The issue may simply be that they are low in the structure within the bottom brood box when you treat, at which point if you are not 'frame aligned' then you either split to get at them and cause disruption you dont want or cant drip onto them.
 
go for 5ml/seam but would just make sure your frames are absolutely aligned so there is a chance of geting OA toward the bottom of the ball

The Bs all circulate/move around within the cluster anyway so OA syrup squirted on the top will quickly become distributed throughout.
 
I dont think we are at odds here. You are assuming your full quota hits the cluster Paul, my point is absolute frame alignment in multi box set-ups is an easy step to help assure this, it isn't an observation on the dynamics of the treatment once in contact with the bees
 
Sorry if this is a stupid question...but can my hive 'wait' until the NY?

Thanks Silly Bee

Yes, yes, yes. Pick a warmish day around Xmas for trickling oxalic solution using the syringe that usually comes with the bottle. Warm the oxalic first to about 30C and don't fiddle around for any other reason as that will chill the cluster. At the same time, quickly give them a prezzy of fondant - not syrup - laid on something like an old Apiguard tray within an eke. Then keep giving fondant from time to time until the spring foraging is available to make sure they survive. A poor winter is forecast again this year.
 
3rd treatment

I suppose it all depends upon what is happening brood wise.

If HM stopped laying a month-three weeks back in response to treatment there'll be no brood now to either supply winter bees OR act as a reservoir of unexposed mites.

However if you still have a decent load of brood yet to emerge then they could feasibly be treated on the assumption that that is where any residual mites are lurking AND you will have adequate winter bees even if HM stops laying further (if she hasn't already).

anyone - how likely is it that a "stalled" queen will still laying anything to speak of in the next week or so whilst UK temps are still decent??? (or a laying queen continue for that matter).
 
coming winter

"A poor winter is forecast again this year"

That's what the hedgerows are suggesting - full of bounty this year.
 
I dont think we are at odds here. You are assuming your full quota hits the cluster Paul, my point is absolute frame alignment in multi box set-ups is an easy step to help assure this, it isn't an observation on the dynamics of the treatment once in contact with the bees

Agreed - it's a hitty missy process. I had one colony on brood + half last winter and I couldn't see where the cluster was during the OA application. I just squirted 5ml evenly along each gap between the frames and hoped.
 
"A poor winter is forecast again this year"

That's what the hedgerows are suggesting - full of bounty this year.


Full of bounty this year.......they are every year round my way....never known plants and tree's to come to some decision not to set seed because they think it's going to be a mild winter.
 
Would it not be fair to say there is a good bounty as the BEES would have polinated the flowers creating a good harvest, like placing bees in ORDHARDS .... I rest my case, I would of thought bee keeper would know this... Ooooo Hi Hivemaker.


Busy Bee
 
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