Vaporised Oxalic Acid on cell builder before inserting graft!

[Plenty of honey]

Would a treatment of Vaporised Oxalic Acid have any effect on a cell builders, if administered just before either making it queen less , or on the morning before inserting the graft.
I am keen to have better control of my numbers this year. Last year i had 2 queens born with DWF.
Would this have any effect on percentage graft take, compared to non treatment.
If one treated a queen less, virtually bloodless set up, that would obviously ,mean very effective control?

 

[B+.]

If one treated a queen less, virtually bloodless set up, that would obviously ,mean very effective control?

Unfortunately, you may still get reinfestation from drifters.

Its just a thought, but, could your dwv problem have been caused by grafting from susceptible stock? How did they perform prior to the grafting?

 

[Plenty of honey]

Unfortunately, you may still get reinfestation from drifters.

Its just a thought, but, could your dwv problem have been caused by grafting from susceptible stock? How did they perform prior to the grafting?

Last years stock (Overwintered nucs) are all in hives now, so i am only beginning to look at Mite numbers, but i have average counts. I am treating all my colonies over the next two weeks anyway.
I think you have a very interesting point i didn't even consider!!

However, i dont think i can do too much harm if i blanket treat all my stock as a general point of control.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=35135&highlight=queen+born+DWV&page=3

I have re read last years very helpful answers and realised "the beeman" treats during the cell building period, as many do i am sure.
Whats your cell builder or queen rearing set up treatment regime B+ ?

 

[B+.]

Whats your cell builder or queen rearing set up treatment regime B+ ?

There's nothing special about cell building or queen rearing. The process is well documented and most people can do it without too much difficulty.
The interesting part is the testing and assessment that tells me which queens to breed from. I don't breed from untested queens so quite a bit of effort goes into that. Even then, you expect a normal distribution of traits and most will perform "average" but you will get one or two worthwhile queens if you are lucky.

I am particularly hopeful for a IB Celle queen I am testing at the moment (6-1-1037-2015) which is one of many I am comparing against an AGT (German varroa work group) proven queen (6-172-15-2013-K). Over the last five weeks, the mite drop is about 1.8/day without treatment of any kind.

There is a lot of resistence to a treatment free regime but isn't this the only way to find stock that is truly resistant?

 

[Plenty of honey]

There is a lot of resistence to a treatment free regime but isn't this the only way to find stock that is truly resistant?

I agree, yes. Its a good thing theres people like you who are able to concentrate their efforts on this!

So are all your queen rearing operations carried out without chemical or physical Varoa control, in attempt to breed natural resistance in to the colony. The whole subject is very interesting and its the golden egg! I am not getting in to a discussion of VSH stock, bees with grooming traits or bees with viral blocking immunity, as I am completely out of my depth in this subject, but we do select, stocks that have above average traits and graft from them.
We get some good and bad, but are constantly struggling with wild of feral AMM drone contamination.

Have you treated a cell builder prior to, or a few weeks days before grafting and seen or noted any notable difference in take of grafts and the results?
I wanted find out if anyone has found any effect on the cell builder set up itself.
Lots of nurse bees, added in, potentially containing higher number of varroa.?

 

[B+.]

Have you treated a cell builder prior to, or a few weeks days before grafting and seen or noted any notable difference in take of grafts and the results?
I wanted find out if anyone has found any effect on the cell builder set up itself.
Lots of nurse bees, added in, potentially containing higher number of varroa.?

No. I don't treat my cell builders either. I know thats Mike Palmers approach, but, don't get too stuck on an idea that you miss other approaches. My objective isn't maximum honey production, so, I don't have a problem with devoting a strong colony to a batch of cells. I have enough colonies to do that because that is my area of interest. It depends on your priotities.
I am not saying I will always do things the same way. It works for me at the moment. As you can see from my avatar, I don't have much difficulty getting cells accepted.

 

[Plenty of honey]

I don't have a problem with devoting a strong colony to a batch of cells. I have enough colonies to do that because that is my area of interest. It depends on your priotities.
I am not saying I will always do things the same way. It works for me at the moment. As you can see from my avatar, I don't have much difficulty getting cells accepted.

I like your "modus operandi", its important were all open minded enough not to become to fixed on one idea and miss the opportunity of others. For me, i am bit tied in to increasing my stock as quickly as i can from my remaining, as well as trying to get a honey crop a couple of times a year.

I have nucs that i dedicate to brood factories, similar to you, dedicating a hive to a batch of queens. I must come past one day and see how you raise yours, love to see other Beeks and how they operate!! always something else i want to try!!