Varroa in October

[Quevy]

Hi

We are half october but weather remains mild and I have lots of bee-activity. Orange, grey and yellow pollen coming in and lots of bees flying in/out.

I didnt treat varroa yet and wonder if it can still be done so late in season. If yes, which method is to recommend

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sublimate Oxalic acid.
Put in your inspection tray and count the number of mites that drop in 24hours. Times this by five which will give you a fair approximation of the number in the colony. It will tell you what you and the bees are up against.
If you can't vape then Amitraz strips would do but you have to open the hive in six weeks to take them out

 

[Quevy]

Thanks and will count.
What would be acceptable amount of mites to go safely into winter ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Anything over 20 on the board and I treat

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Thanks and will count.
What would be acceptable amount of mites to go safely into winter ?

Or you could run your numbers through the Varroa Calculator on Beebase but that site gets a bit nervous about only using one day's figures.

You definitely don't want your winter bees' health compromised by a high mite load so do what you can to reduce numbers if they are high.

CVB

 

[Quevy]

Day 1 : 39 units

Ran through beebase V Calculator as suggested by CVB.
They suggest immediate treatment

However, bees are nearly in wintermode and I hate to disturb them and cool down the brood.

Will monitor for few days.

 

[Bakerbee]

I know uk is in for some unusual late warm weather this next few days. Think belgium is getting it too though even warmer. Surely its better to be super quick n get some treatment in over next few days than to leave them with varroa over winter. Just my thoughts. If this is incorrect plz advise differently.

 

[Beefriendly]

Day 1 : 39 units

Ran through beebase V Calculator as suggested by CVB.
They suggest immediate treatment

However, bees are nearly in wintermode and I hate to disturb them and cool down the brood.

.

Better to treat and have healthy bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Day 1 : 39 units

Ran through beebase V Calculator as suggested by CVB.
They suggest immediate treatment

However, bees are nearly in wintermode and I hate to disturb them and cool down the brood.

Will monitor for few days.

Treat

 

[Quevy]

Treat

I dont mind treating now.
Weather is around 20 C

But opening in 6 weeks to remove the Amitraz ?
Will this not be more disruptive than overwintering with Varroa ?

 

[drex]

It would take a maximum of 30 seconds to remove. I would certainly treat. I want my winter bees to be as healthy as possible. The survival of the colony depends on it.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

When you come to remove the treatment in 6 weeks, insert the monitoring board and block the entrance so that there is as little "chimney effect" as possible. Be very gentle when you remove the crown board and get the treatment strips out as quickly as possible and return the crown board.

As Jack Aubrey said in 'Master and Commander', "..it's the lesser of two weevils".

CVB

 

[Swarm]

Will this not be more disruptive than overwintering with Varroa ?

Definitely not.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It would take a maximum of 30 seconds to remove.

Could take a bit longer with a Warre hive, depending on how many boxes there are and, if any cutting in half with cheese wires is needed to place the strips in the brood area.

 

[fatshark]

I dont mind treating now.
Weather is around 20 C

But opening in 6 weeks to remove the Amitraz ?
Will this not be more disruptive than overwintering with Varroa ?

If your drop is 39/day before treatment you may well only be overwintering the colony for half the winter.

A significant proportion of your winter bees are already in the colony - and they've already been exposed to the viruses.

 

[Bakerbee]

Would it be so bad to leave the srtips in there over winter?. Surely its just the effigacy of the strips that slows giving off less n less treatment. Or is it a problem with being in the way when they cluster? I used apitraz in my commercial. Between 3/4 frame and 7/8 frame. It says treament is strongest for 6 weeks but research has shown better results leaving for 60-80 days. So they advise the later. Any ideas?

 

[Beefriendly]

Longer the exposure the more likely resistance to it can eb developed by the mites....which is why 6 weeks and no longer.
It's no big deal opening up a hive and removing the strips in any weather or temperatures.

 

[Bakerbee]

Ahhhh i see im surprised that apitraz give that info out then. But trust a beekeeper over a pharmaceutical company anyday. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I dont mind treating now.
Weather is around 20 C

But opening in 6 weeks to remove the Amitraz ?
Will this not be more disruptive than overwintering with Varroa ?

Absolutely not.
I would rather vape, of course but needs must.
The lesser of two weevils indeed

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Absolutely not.
I would rather vape, of course but needs must.
The lesser of two weevils indeed

See here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=440l8poSQiA

CVB