Varroa drop

[drstitson]

Ok - so i'm now a week into ApiLifeVar treament (see other thread). Have just added second dose and checked the boards.

just over 2 per day for the original colony that i was given as a swarm in late may.
1 per day from the hive that i split off the original at peak activity.

i take it that this represents low level infestation and if i manage the four weeks Rx will not need oxalic in the winter.

 

[Midland Beek]

Are you in chilly UK or not so chilly Italy? Can't help but think conditions in most parts are not that good for Apiguard.

 

[Black Comb]

Been 18/19 degrees here today so above the 15 degrees level.

 

[taff..]

it was 16 deg here at 17:30, it was also bucketing down with rain

 

[MuswellMetro]

All i can say is that a freind had similar result to you

Two weeks of Apiguard Drop of about 34 for two week period

BUT

day 1 of Thymol grease patties drop 44,
two subsequent days over a hundred each day!

 

[darren64]

can thymol be used in colder temperatures?

 

[Heather]

I am also a little concerned that Apilife Var varroa drop is much less this year than with Apiguard last year.... either
a) My hives generally healthier
b) Apilife not as effective

I will Oxalic one hive in Dec- just to see if there is also minimal drop then - if so hives healthy so wont do rest- if heavy drop - do the rest with Oxalic and not use Apilife again- and contact the manufacturer as well re same.

 

[Polyanwood]

Hard to know whether it is that there is less varroa in the hives or the treatments are different. I am using hivemaker thymol patties on most and some Apiguard I had left over on a couple of others. More difference between the hives than between the treatments as far as I can see.

Main thing is that the HM recipe is cheaper and involves overall lower dose of thymol.

 

[MuswellMetro]

one of mine has dropped 550 in two weeks, the one next door 30 in the same period, both with apiguard and both had a weekly drop in august of 15- 20 per week

i think they are learning to cling on rather than drop through the mesh, natural selection

 

[Midland Beek]

Been 18/19 degrees here today so above the 15 degrees level.

In a 24 hour period how many hours below 15 deg? I would say most.

I would suggest that Apiguard drops are closely correlated to temperature more than anything else. And not the quantity of mites in yer hive.

 

[drstitson]

Apilifevar drop

Hi - just to clarify - i'm using Apilifevar out in Italy - upto 26C day, 15-16C at night. (hive in UK has apiguard in it)

On related note - re the hive with the slightly greater drop (which is also the one that was jettisoning large bits of the "biscuit" out of the door) - i have found three late worker pupae being tossed out - one last night, two this morning - still alive. any ideas?

 

[johna]

All got their tongues out.Could they be starving?

 

[drstitson]

surely during pupation they don't feed.

seem small to me.

 

[wilderness]

I can't see any wings in the photo. Deformed Wing Virus?

I've had a few bees with DWV walking about in front of the hive. Large varroa drop in all the colonies.

 

[aseeryl]

I mentioned, on another thread that, I saw workers uncapping and dumping capped larvae shortly after starting Apigard. They were not so well developed as in the photo. Seems to have stopped quite quickly. No more seen on the tray when I looked yesterday.

There has been no visible mite drop after one week and the Apigard has sublimated. Smell has gone. Because of these happenings I'm not too keen on more Apigard. I wonder if I should try thymol in syrup or make up some patties?

 

[oliver90owner]

Before jumping to too many conclusions, it may be worth enquiring as to whether there was any drone brood in the colony? They could have just evicted the drones and then continued to remove any drone larvae and pupae. Did you actally watch them uncapping or simply see the results, externally to the hive?

RAB

 

[madasafish]

My bees have been evicting drones and drone pupae...

I'm also using Apiguard..

Not worried... (Had DWV on a few bees before treatment and mite drop - on a 22 frame TBH was large - now only about 30/day when still being treated..
)

 

[MuswellMetro]

i am sure the strength of apiguard must vary between batches as one hive that only drop 30 in two weeks with the first apiguard application has dropped 72 in three days with the second application both apiguard Best before 2013 but different batch numbers

and its been colder this week, apiguard on top of frames in a 35mm eke placed at rear away from entrance, sealed floor and entrance block in

 

[Juststarting]

MM,
That's worrying if its the case.

All these experiences lead me to wonder-

How much does the temp in the hive change - with different outside temps? I thought bees regulated hive temps - would it be dependent on bee density i.e. can full hives keep it warmer in whole hive than small developing colonies and therefore treatment might be more effective? Woiuldnt affect the same hive as in you case but does it cause the large difference people have seen across an apiary

I can see that different levels of brood hatching over the period may lead to different drop rates - but is brood hatch fairly constant in a "normal" hive? Mine that I am treating is a reunited nuc with Q- hive - so the queen had "extra"frames to lay up in one go so I had a peak of brood hatching which seems to have coincided with slightly higher drop rate (talking 10's and on one hive so definitely not enough to draw conclusions but enough to speculate.)

If it is down to batch variation is there anything we can do about it?

 

[Stiffy]

Correct me if I am wrong but I was taught that the temperature within the cluster remains constant +/- a few degrees.
It would therefore seem reasonable to assume that the temperature of the ‘space’ immediately surrounding the cluster is the determining factor.

Therefore should we be taking readings (warm/cold areas) to find the most effective area within the hive to maximise treatments?

Sadly I have all my hives are now being treated or I would slip a thermometer in a see what the difference is in relation to mite drop. Wouldn’t be particularly scientific but may have some use if replicated over time.

Cheers
S