Varroa Testing

[Floyd]

Afternoon to you all,

I have been doing quite a bit of reading on Varroa during the winter months, and have found the attached document very informative, so may be helpful for new members. Although it is produced by Veto_Pharma and is trying to sell their EasyCheck device, they also state that the same can be achieved with a jar and filter.

However I still have a couple of questions.

I am looking at going to maybe 8+ hives this year so Apivar is going to cost me at least £60, and as it is soon my birthday, I am considering the InstantVap Lite which will pay for itself over time.

However I am still unsure does OA vaping cover all treatment needs or is it just complimentary to other treatments (Apivar) also is it worth purchasing at the beginning of the season, now that brood rearing is on the go (even up here in Fife) (Can i still use it now?)

4 out of 4 hives have survived a cold wet winter up here, however last year my first inspection was 22nd April, where I found sealed QC in 2 hives, so hopefully I can get in earlier this year, but did over winter on double broad on one and nadired supers on the other 3. Nadiring did not stop the swarming last year though.

Thanks as always for your help, and I wish you all the best for the coming season.

Lee

 

[Sutty]

I think like many of us i have used OA raping as a sole method of treatment for several years successfully.
Api-bioxal contains glucose which can gum up the dispenser a bit unlike generic OA, but that has become harder to source recently as it now is only available to businesses or those with a licence in the UK.
There is always the argument of rotating treatments to avoid the development of resistance, but i haven't heard of this occurring with OA.
I love my instantvap, simple quick and effective.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There is always the argument of rotating treatments to avoid the development of resistance, but i haven't heard of this occurring with OA.

very hard to develop a resistance to having bits of your body burnt off.

 

[Erichalfbee]

However I am still unsure does OA vaping cover all treatment needs or is it just complimentary to other treatments (Apivar)

I have used OAV as my sole treatment for around 14 years. On one occasion after vaping seven times and getting astronomical drops ( yes, I counted as I couldn’t believe what I was seeing ) I dropped in some Apivar. The drop was negligible so I guess the bees finally stopped bringing mites home.
Get that instantvap you won’t regret it …. But don’t get the Lite.

 

[Sutty]

very hard to develop a resistance to having bits of your body burnt off.

True but as their are organisms it doesn't seem to harm (bees), maybe not impossible.