varroa mites in colonies 2010

[dudley]

I had large numbers of verroa in my colonies last year, and although I used Apiguard last autumn I failed to do the follow-up acid treatment. So I was expecting even worse verroa this year.
I use 14 x 12 frames with a single DN1 to encourage drone comb to be drawn off the bottom bar for verroa control. (something my mentor and club suggests)
I did an inspection the other day and as the bees had completely filled the space below the DN1 bottom bar with capped drone cells decided it was time to remove it.
However I had to search and search to find any verroa. I pulled it apart as I was shown and thought either my eyesight had gone or I was not looking properly as I couldn't find any mites. But then I found one and then another, BUT it was only a single mite in about 1 cell in 30. Last year it was 3 mites in just about every cell.
The low numbers in my case are not down to good management on my part I am afraid to say.
Steve.

 

[oliver90owner]

So, who is going to try to be first to keep a colony in a freezer, for a month, next winter?

Regards, RAB

 

[Chris Luck]

So, who is going to try to be first to keep a colony in a freezer, for a month, next winter?

It sometimes stays well below zero here for a week or so in winter, perhaps with a high of -5°C or lower during the day and -15°C at night and apparently it has no effect on varroa - or so they tell me.

Anyway, it certainly isn't a problem for the bees, damp would be more of a problem than cold, but then they are bees after all and like other wild species they are suited to the climate they live in within certain limits.

Chris

 

[victor meldrew]

I can't see cold Winters effecting varroa, particularly as they live on the bee which maintains a cluster temperature perfectly adequate for the mites survival plus food source ?.
A long cold Winter would have some effect on the bees having brood which would also have the same effect on the varroas' breeding cycle ?

John Wilkinson

 

[The Riviera Kid]

i've noticed that there seems to be far less varroa in one of my colonies. there were very few drops and when the bee inspector went through my brood box last week and uncapped a load of drone brood, he commented that there was basically very little in there.

We found a couple of adult drones on the frames with deformed wings though... not good.

I am waiting for my new queen to (hopefully) establish herself and then it's in with the Apiguard!!

 

[jezd]

So, who is going to try to be first to keep a colony in a freezer, for a month, next winter?

Regards, RAB

nice1, I like that lol

 

[Ewok]

Talking to the regional bee inspector today & he said that generally, varoa is at similar levels to last year.

Other beeks at the meeting mentioned that they had a mixture of hives some with very little & some with heavy infestations.

 

[Mike a]

During my inspections today in two of my hives I saw dwv on a couple of bees but nothing on the trays or on any of the sealed drones I uncapped. However I'm not taking any chances when I remove the supers they will still get treated.

Just a question of what to treat them with.

The highly recommend thymol treatment PH posted
or
the trays of Apigard currently sat out in the garage which worked well in some hives but not all last Autumn.

 

[oliver90owner]

John,

I can't see cold Winters effecting varroa,

Perhaps the prolonged broodless period, where the cluster temperature drops around another ten degrees, may be less than beneficial to the mites?

Finman may have a better insight, as his colonies over-winter in much colder conditions than ours, and on a regular basis.

Regards, RAB

 

[Arfermo]

The most recently approved (last summer) Thymol based varroa treatment for use in September or thereabouts is ApiLifevar. Anybody noticed a difference compared with Apiguard? It looks easier but is it as effective?

The follow up in December is Oxalic acid for which I use an evaporator which as far as I can see is better than trickling. Many will dispute this but bear in mind that one can treat the hives more than once at 2 week intervals when everything I have read about trickling is that it a one-off only. The other benefit is that one does not even have to open the hive, exposing bees and brood to near zero temperatures, either. In fact I evaporate from below the open mesh floor which is even less invasive. Anybody want to quibble?

Arfermo

 

[Rosti]

Anybody want to quibble? Arfermo

Haven't tried the method so certainly don't want to quibble, wld like to understand the H&S for the beek though, thats why I have simply accepted a chilling risk and gone with 5ml per seam syringed. Wld be pleased to understand alternatives though, what kit do you use to apply, could you post a link pls?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Well if anyone is worried about chilling the brood when applying oxalic,then your kind of semi wasting your time in the first place.

 

[Rosti]

Yep ,

Hivemaker you're right - I got suckered into that response didn't I!. Mid winter .... no brood .... oxalic only acts on bee-bourne mites Doh!

I mean't chill the brood ball - honest guv, did, really!

Interest in the alternative application method still stands though

 

[m100]

The follow up in December is Oxalic acid for which I use an evaporator which as far as I can see is better than trickling. Many will dispute this but bear in mind that one can treat the hives more than once at 2 week intervals when everything I have read about trickling is that it a one-off only. The other benefit is that one does not even have to open the hive, exposing bees and brood to near zero temperatures, either. In fact I evaporate from below the open mesh floor which is even less invasive. Anybody want to quibble?

It's been done to death many, many, many times before. The world has moved on in the past 10-15 years from when vaporisation was replaced by trickling for sound technical and practical reasons. Opening the hive and trickling doesn't chill the brood, or the bees, or disturb the cluster, or drown them. It effectively reduces varroa to very low levels for about 5p per hive in about 30 seconds.

Give it another few years and some decrepit fart will come crawling out of the woodwork suggesting smoking varroa with tobacco.