Varroa treatment of swarms

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OldFarm

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Does anyone use a varroa treatment on swarms? I'm thinking wait until eggs are seen and then trickle with Varromed. Opinions?
 
OA vape, about 5 days after capture. I'm sure Varromed will work too, although I have not tried it.
 
OA vape, about 5 days after capture. I'm sure Varromed will work too, although I have not tried it.
Long discussion on similar problem on taking bees to an area that was presumed to be free of Varroa.
Considered opinion was to shook swarm bees onto fresh foundation and then give 3 OA vaporisations.
My suggestion was to initially check all of the colonies in the area ( not that many) with an alcohol wash, just to see if any of the isolated populations was infected... presumption was that no bees had been imported since Varroa was reported on the mainland.
Unfortunately an even bigger problem hit the UK and basically any thoughts on bees has been put on hold.
 
Sugar roll a cupful or just be done with them and just oav them.
 
Remember that when a swarm leaves the hive, most of the varroa are in the sealed brood rather than clinging to adult bees.
 
Long discussion on similar problem on taking bees to an area that was presumed to be free of Varroa.
Considered opinion was to shook swarm bees onto fresh foundation and then give 3 OA vaporisations....
If broodless only one OA treatment is required
 
Remember that when a swarm leaves the hive, most of the varroa are in the sealed brood rather than clinging to adult bees.

Not sure about most of the varroa being in the sealed brood. This study found the figure to be 36% (plus or minus 10%).
(PDF) Distribution of Varroa destructor between swarms and colonies (researchgate.net)

But your main point is, I think, that swarms are relatively light on varroa. This is true - the study found a natural swarm contained, on average, 19-43% (average 32%) of the bees (including the bees in brood cells) but only 16% to 34% (average 25%) of the mites. This is one of the (several) reasons that swarming is good for mite control.

But 25% is still potentially a lot of mites in a swarm .....

Mites in swarms.PNG
 
You may use oxalic acid trickling too when the swarm has started to draw combs. Trickling is harmfull to larvae.
 
Not sure about most of the varroa being in the sealed brood. This study found the figure to be 36%

Swarms varroa treatment is very good, because without brood you can kill easily almost all mites. It is much more difficult to kill in August in brood.

Sometimes a swarm is full of mites.... yes, I have seen them enough during 30 years

If the swarm has 200 mites in June, in July it has 400 and in August it has 800. And 600 are in brood in August.


But the swarm gets mites outside the hive more or less even if you kill all mites in June.
 
Your best bet for treating is a vape a few days after capture. Swarms carry varroa and in some instances a lot, I’ve had some over the years almost collapsing after getting established in very short order.
 
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Your best bet for treating is a vape a few days after capture. Seems carry varroa and in some instances a lot, I’ve had some over the years almost collapsing after getting established in very short order.
Absolutely, I've also read advice to discard the first frames of sealed brood to get rid of the mites, I can't think of anything worse for the development of a swarm, that first brood is the engine that drives it on, built on the unique physiological change in the bees prior to swarming designed to produce that first flush of brood in good order.
A vape after the first eggs are hatched but before the first brood is sealed is ideal.
 
Vaping and removing a patch of the first-capped brood is probably as good as anything. Most certainly not whole frames, or multiples, of capped brood.
Alternatively, a second vape, before brood is capped, will likely mop up any surviving the first.
 

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