Varroa count for ten colonys so far

[Erichalfbee]

“I am comparing OA strips with apivar isn't that obvious to you thinkers out there??”
I’m interested in your research as I have used just (Abelo) OA strips this year in all my hives. Put in on 6th Sept for the 6 weeks. Bit of a gamble, used Apivar last year. May vape or trickle later in the year. Not done any varroa counts other than using a varroa board which show almost nil but prob a useless way to measure effectiveness.

Are you saying you have negligible drops with Oxalic strips?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You'll have to make your own by the looks of things

I stand corrected. I asked in Twitter and they will be back on shortly.

 

[Erichalfbee]

“I am comparing OA strips with apivar isn't that obvious to you thinkers out there??”
I’m interested in your research as I have used just (Abelo) OA strips this year in all my hives. Put in on 6th Sept for the 6 weeks. Bit of a gamble, used Apivar last year. May vape or trickle later in the year. Not done any varroa counts other than using a varroa board which show almost nil but prob a useless way to measure effectiveness.

I wonder if there is any correlation between efficacy and the bees’ behaviour towards them? There are reports here of the bees throwing them out of the hive. The ones I’ve tried have remained unmolested.

 

[Swarm]

“I am comparing OA strips with apivar isn't that obvious to you thinkers out there??”
I’m interested in your research as I have used just (Abelo) OA strips this year in all my hives. Put in on 6th Sept for the 6 weeks. Bit of a gamble, used Apivar last year. May vape or trickle later in the year. Not done any varroa counts other than using a varroa board which show almost nil but prob a useless way to measure effectiveness.

Hi Etton,
Used just OA strips last year, added to colonies pre Spring build up, they are either gone or removed before supering. OA strips added in Autumn and no follow up mid Winter treatment.
My friend did likewise but did do OA trickle in December. He had better mite drops than his usual MAQS treatment and is doing the same this year.
No need to remove the strips, most of mine were chewed away and anything left can be removed in Spring.

 

[Boston Bees]

Hi Etton,
Used just OA strips last year, added to colonies pre Spring build up, they are either gone or removed before supering. OA strips added in Autumn and no follow up mid Winter treatment.
My friend did likewise but did do OA trickle in December. He had better mite drops than his usual MAQS treatment and is doing the same this year.
No need to remove the strips, most of mine were chewed away and anything left can be removed in Spring.

In your hives, did inspection board drops suggest the strips did anything to kill varroa?

 

[Swarm]

I don't count mites these days, I last did a mite count about three years ago when vaping.
My friend has used MAQS and OA winter trickle for a number of years but he left it a bit late for MAQS so I suggested OA strips. He put inspection boards in because he had never used them before. He had a drop of 100 in 24hrs, with similar drops for 3 days, where numbers tailed off. He never saw numbers like that with MAQS.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I wonder if there is any correlation between efficacy and the bees’ behaviour towards them? There are reports here of the bees throwing them out of the hive. The ones I’ve tried have remained unmolested.

Same here they have remained in place.
I also wonder if lying them on top of frames in comparison to folding them over the frames makes a difference.
I've lyed all mine so far on top of the frames.

 

[Boston Bees]

I don't count mites these days, I last did a mite count about three years ago when vaping.
My friend has used MAQS and OA winter trickle for a number of years but he left it a bit late for MAQS so I suggested OA strips. He put inspection boards in because he had never used them before. He had a drop of 100 in 24hrs, with similar drops for 3 days, where numbers tailed off. He never saw numbers like that with MAQS.

Those sound like pretty low drops. Very surprised that MAQS (which I have always understood to be the nuclear option of varroa treatment) didn't result in more dead mites than that. Maybe just very low infestation!

 

[Erichalfbee]

The only time I put them between the frames the glycerine and I presume the Oxalic dropped out through the omf

 

[Curly green finger's]

The only time I put them between the frames the glycerine and I presume the Oxalic dropped out through the omf

Perhaps best to liy them flat then?
This way was recommended by another beefarmer that uses them.

 

[Etton]

Perhaps best to liy them flat then?
This way was recommended by another beefarmer that uses them.

I too will lay them flat next year, if my hives are strong in the spring following the OA strip sole treatment this autumn. All now removed after the 6 weeks, some were chewed but mostly all whole, some were stuck with propolis and tricky to remove without removing frames, hence laying on top is a good move. Recommended removal after 6 weeks to prevent varroa developing resistance.

 

[Etton]

Over the 6 weeks almost nil on the varroa boards so not sure on efficacy, hence vape/trickle in Dec. If then a big drop it may suggest the OA strips not that effective.

 

[Etton]

Should add that varroa boards were only in for short spells of a few days at a time, remainder of time with no boards in.

 

[Swarm]

Those sound like pretty low drops. Very surprised that MAQS (which I have always understood to be the nuclear option of varroa treatment) didn't result in more dead mites than that. Maybe just very low infestation!

We don't have large numbers, his total drop was greater than my worst colony over the entire course of OAV.

 

[Swarm]

Perhaps best to liy them flat then?
This way was recommended by another beefarmer that uses them.

I've always draped them over the top bar. Don't know about leaky strips or whatever that is but I've never had that, some colonies munch them away to nothing, others nibble the edges.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Should add that varroa boards were only in for short spells of a few days at a time, remainder of time with no boards in.
Do you think if you would of left the boards in and did your count weekly it would of made a difference?
@Etton .
I was thinking of positioning, a double brood would have them if lay flat in between boxes and possibly have more chance of OA being spread around the hive.
Was also thinking of putting spacers ie wedges under them to give the bees more chance of covering them or being in contact with them.
Often thought about that with apivar but perhaps when they make them having three crosses on either side of the strip so you could liy them down also. Thoughts?

 

[Etton]

Still on sale at Abelo
https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/varroa-control/oxalic-acid-strips/

 

[Erichalfbee]

Still on sale at Abelo
https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/varroa-control/oxalic-acid-strips/

Which is exactly what I said posts ago. They were off the shelf for a while

I stand corrected. I asked in Twitter and they will be back on shortly.

 

[Swarm]

Should add that varroa boards were only in for short spells of a few days at a time, remainder of time with no boards in.
Do you think if you would of left the boards in and did your count weekly it would of made a difference?
@Etton .
I was thinking of positioning, a double brood would have them if lay flat in between boxes and possibly have more chance of OA being spread around the hive.
Was also thinking of putting spacers ie wedges under them to give the bees more chance of covering them or being in contact with them.
Often thought about that with apivar but perhaps when they make them having three crosses on either side of the strip so you could liy them down also. Thoughts?

If they hang in the seams, the bees have better access to both faces, the product is closer to the brood.

 

[Etton]

If they hang in the seams, the bees have better access to both faces, the product is closer to the brood.

Good point... I might do two across the top & two hanging.