Varroa count for ten colonys so far

[Curly green finger's]

Afternoon I'm collecting varroa samples from the inspection boards of 10 colonys all 10 colonys started the season as 6 frame nucs and have been manipulated in the same way and have spent all season together at the same apiary.
All 10 colonys went to Heather and are also still together.
Im using apivar and OA strips as a varroa treatment.
Two of the colonys in the spring were treated with OA strips only because of dwv. Colonys 7 and 5.

16th Sept 21
Strips introduced 16th Sept 1:30pm sunny and a moderate breeze 22c.

First sample taken 20th sept
11A 55 (single brood) apivar
8 42 ( double brood) apivar
6 sp 0 ( single brood) superseded on the moor but still have treated with apivar.
9 7 ( brood/half) apivar
01 LH 60 ( double brood) apivar
12A 72 (brood/half) OA strips.
3 68 ( b/h) apivar
7 34 (b/h) OA strips
5 58 ( d/B) OA strips
4 104 ( d/B) OA strips
27th Sept
11A 63
8 26
6 sp strips removed because of superseded queen and brood break the week was to see what the mite drop was like with the strips.
01 LH 44
12a 62
3 34
7 28
5 42
4 130
4th October
11a 22
8 30
6sp 0
9 4
01 LH 68
12A 77
3 10
7 20
5 90
4 160
11th oct
11A 6
8 36
6sp 0
9 9
01 LH 30
12A 64
3 9
7 24
5 80
4 120
18th October
11A 9
8 36
6sp 0
9 6 this colony have superseded.
01 LH 32
12A 14
3 20
7 74
5 64
4 28
Colony 4 has had the most mite drop and was one of the biggest colonys this season, interestingly mite count has dropped considerably on week 5.

I will continue with collecting my mite samples and forward my results.
I hope you can understand my results as I'm righting it straight from my note pad, apologies i will try and transfer the results on to a graph or the like at a later date.
Thanks
C. G. F

 

[Boston Bees]

Hmmm

I am sure there are some interesting numbers here, but it's almost impossible to work out due to the formatting. It just appears to be a stream of random numbers and letters.

So yes, please do put it in a chart or something before updating any further

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hmmm

I am sure there are some interesting numbers here, but it's almost impossible to work out due to the formatting. It just appears to be a stream of random numbers and letters.

So yes, please do put it in a chart or something before updating any further

Yeah but colony number is on the left varroa count on the right.
I will try and plot it on a graph.

 

[pargyle]

Afternoon I'm collecting varroa samples from the inspection boards of 10 colonys all 10 colonys started the season as 6 frame nucs and have been manipulated in the same way and have spent all season together at the same apiary.
All 10 colonys went to Heather and are also still together.
Im using apivar and OA strips as a varroa treatment.
Two of the colonys in the spring were treated with OA strips only because of dwv. Colonys 7 and 5.

16th Sept 21
Strips introduced 16th Sept 1:30pm sunny and a moderate breeze 22c.

First sample taken 20th sept
11A 55 (single brood) apivar
8 42 ( double brood) apivar
6 sp 0 ( single brood) superseded on the moor but still have treated with apivar.
9 7 ( brood/half) apivar
01 LH 60 ( double brood) apivar
12A 72 (brood/half) OA strips.
3 68 ( b/h) apivar
7 34 (b/h) OA strips
5 58 ( d/B) OA strips
4 104 ( d/B) OA strips
27th Sept
11A 63
8 26
6 sp strips removed because of superseded queen and brood break the week was to see what the mite drop was like with the strips.
01 LH 44
12a 62
3 34
7 28
5 42
4 130
4th October
11a 22
8 30
6sp 0
9 4
01 LH 68
12A 77
3 10
7 20
5 90
4 160
11th oct
11A 6
8 36
6sp 0
9 9
01 LH 30
12A 64
3 9
7 24
5 80
4 120
18th October
11A 9
8 36
6sp 0
9 6 this colony have superseded.
01 LH 32
12A 14
3 20
7 74
5 64
4 28
Colony 4 has had the most mite drop and was one of the biggest colonys this season, interestingly mite count has dropped considerably on week 5.

I will continue with collecting my mite samples and forward my results.
I hope you can understand my results as I'm righting it straight from my note pad, apologies i will try and transfer the results on to a graph or the like at a later date.
Thanks
C. G. F

Unfortunately, Mark, the inspection board is a notoriously poor indicator of the true infestation level ... although I accept that with a miticide in the hive there will be a drop of dead mites as a result.

I spent time in my early years counting mites on the inspection boards and when I started doing sugar rolls it proved conclusively to me that the board debris could be very inaccurate.

What are you hoping to achieve from this exercise ? If you are just going to treat, regardless of infestation, seems a bit of a waste of your time. Or are you thinking of going TF ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

As far as drop is concerned 24 hour count with a fast acting miticide is ok….ish Anything else is near useless.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Unfortunately, Mark, the inspection board is a notoriously poor indicator of the true infestation level ... although I accept that with a miticide in the hive there will be a drop of dead mites as a result.

I spent time in my early years counting mites on the inspection boards and when I started doing sugar rolls it proved conclusively to me that the board debris could be very inaccurate.

What are you hoping to achieve from this exercise ? If you are just going to treat, regardless of infestation, seems a bit of a waste of your time. Or are you thinking of going TF ?

Unfortunately, Mark, the inspection board is a notoriously poor indicator of the true infestation level ... although I accept that with a miticide in the hive there will be a drop of dead mites as a result.

I spent time in my early years counting mites on the inspection boards and when I started doing sugar rolls it proved conclusively to me that the board debris could be very inaccurate.

What are you hoping to achieve from this exercise ? If you are just going to treat, regardless of infestation, seems a bit of a waste of your time. Or are you thinking of going TF ?

You can see on an inspection board even which mites are a natural mite drop and I've got extra records to tell.

Whats all this sugar about TF?
And please yes except that a miticide is present and it does give you some details so don't write rot OK!

Im not treating willy nilly! strips would of been removed on week one if I wasn't getting any dead mites.

I was hoping for some positives, but as usual nothing comes close.

@jenkinsbrynmair........ Talk about another thread pls to do with drones.

Why would I need to pick drones out???
When we have qxs and ekes, come on I thought you were a thinking beekeeper which I hear certain beeks banging on about all the time.

I am comparing OA strips with apivar isn't that obvious to you thinkers out there??

 

[Erichalfbee]

You can see on an inspection board even which mites are a natural mite drop and I've got extra records to tell.

Whats all this sugar about TF?
And please yes except that a miticide is present and it does give you some details so don't write rot OK!

Im not treating willy nilly! strips would of been removed on week one if I wasn't getting any dead mites.

I was hoping for some positives, but as usual nothing comes close.

@jenkinsbrynmair........ Talk about another thread pls to do with drones.

Why would I need to pick drones out???
When we have qxs and ekes, come on I thought you were a thinking beekeeper which I hear certain beeks banging on about all the time.

I am comparing OA strips with apivar isn't that obvious to you thinkers out there??

Natural drop mites are those where you have no miticide in yes?
As for drones. You separate them out with a QX? Then what do you do with them?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you’re comparing strips of whatever nature you need to standardise the colonies. At the very least you need to know the original mite numbers. Did you do a sugar roll or alcohol wash at the start?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think alcohol may have played a part

 

[Curly green finger's]

I think alcohol may have played a part

Think what ever you like, I've just racked this.

 

[masterBK]

I spy a "lego" storage box in your photo.

 

[pargyle]

Natural drop mites are those where you have no miticide in yes?
As for drones. You separate them out with a QX? Then what do you do with them?

Squish them one by one on the gatepost if you are a beefarmer apparently ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

I spy a "lego" storage box in your photo.

You don't miss much do you .
In my spare time of not being a beefarmer drone squisher! I play with lego and brio.

 

[Curly green finger's]

You don't miss much do you .
In my spare time of not being a beefarmer drone squisher! I play with lego and brio.

Is there a date by the calendar by which cabin fever sets in

 

[pargyle]

Is there a date by the calendar by which cabin fever sets in

No ... it's weather dependent .... or pehaps it's dependent on whether ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or whatever?

 

[rolande]

Is there a date by the calendar by which cabin fever sets in

No, and anyway, it only affects those without plenty to do.

 

[Etton]

“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.

 

[Curly green finger's]

“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.

This is much the same as what I want to do the strips do work but to what degree I'm still finding out.
I also plan to vape in Dec.
I also plan to use OA strips on any splits or colonys for rearing this next season, I know some beeks are already doing this.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I also plan to use OA strips on any splits or colonys for rearing this next season, I know some beeks are already doing this.

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