big n
New Bee
Evening all I need to treat for Varroa now soon I have supers on hives that I want to leave on for winter stores would it be best to put them under the brood box while treating or does it not matter your thoughts would be appreciated.
Varroa Treatment
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Depends how you are treating: read post 2 from Erichalfbee
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/harvesting-honey-after-oxalic-acid-vape.48550/#post-722549
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Doesn't matter so long as you are not going to take the honey. Put the supers underneath in October (ish) when the threat of robbing has gone then the bees will take the honey up into the brood box leaving you with a pristine super for immediate use in the Spring. Well, it works for me. I have taken this years honey and at the mo each of my hives has one super on the top and everything the bees bring back now is for them. I have Apivar strips in the brood boxes so that when I move the supers I can take them out easily. I generally leave the strips in for just under ten weeks as per the instructions then an OA trickle at Christmas and that's it for the next season.
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Hi shiney can I ask why you would have the need to trickle after you had used apivar for 10 weeks?
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Belt and braces really. It does no harm as the products work in completely different ways and the idea is to get rid of a good proportion of the 3% or so (product statement) of mites that the Apivar doesn't get. Chaos theory -- minimise the starting variables and the effects don't grow as big down the line. Christmas trickling is the last treatment I do until after the honey is taken in August the following year so it has to be comprehensive.
Lizbee
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I'm a new beekeeper and treated my two polyhives with apiguard last autumn. I've been reading as much as I can about what and when to do varroa treatments but end up getting confused. I need to keep it simple - can I use just apiguard all the time and if so, when should I treat again? If I wait till the weather is warm, then will I have time to do the treatment before I start putting supers on? I could do with an online course, but haven't found anything - there seems to be so much I don't know.
I do appreciate all the advice on this forum, thank you to everyone who shares their knowledge.
I do appreciate all the advice on this forum, thank you to everyone who shares their knowledge.
hemo
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One can't treat during summer Autumn if wanting to harvest honey.
Most commonly treatment is carried out late summer and in the winter before xmas. Also it is a good time to treat bees as a swarm once rehomed before brood is capped so within the first 8 or 9 days.
Apiguard is heat sensitive relating to when treat, for winter Apibioxal treatment is the preferred method, some of us use it all year round as the only treatment.
Most commonly treatment is carried out late summer and in the winter before xmas. Also it is a good time to treat bees as a swarm once rehomed before brood is capped so within the first 8 or 9 days.
Apiguard is heat sensitive relating to when treat, for winter Apibioxal treatment is the preferred method, some of us use it all year round as the only treatment.
Boston Bees
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(posted in error)
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Gilberdyke John
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Traditionally association practical training sessions demonstrated taking honey crops off in August, subsequently putting Apiguard/Apilife Var treatment on then following the treatment with winter feeding. Around Christmas a trickle application of Oxalic acid based treatment. That formed a basis for new keepers to work with which was generally successful. Variations could be introduced later.
Murox
Queen Bee
Thymol based treatments like Apiguard and Api Life Var (not to be confused with Apivar.) are ambient temperature sensitive. MAQS -formic acid- (mite away quick strips) are also temperature sensitive.
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“there seems to be so much I don’t know”........that’s situation normal for beekeeping
Oxalic acid is ok in poly hives.
If you dribble you can only treat once as it harms brood. If you sublimate, you can treat with a series of “vapes” to cover a brood cycle.
Theres a lot of threads on here about it if you search.
Good luck
Rikki
New Bee
Yep, used it with no damages just make sure you don't touch the poly with the hot pan/pipe
Gilberdyke John
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In my experience yes
Apple
Drone Bee
I will be corrected if wrong... but I believe it is possible to treat in the foraging season with "Hive Alive" if supers are removed and if you have a high varroa infestation.
A Polish beefarmer regularly uses rhubarb leaves as they are permissible to use as a varroacide even when supering off ( In POLAND !!)
Both contain Oxalic Acid which is a safe organic varroacide.
A Polish beefarmer regularly uses rhubarb leaves as they are permissible to use as a varroacide even when supering off ( In POLAND !!)
Both contain Oxalic Acid which is a safe organic varroacide.
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There is a way to vape with supers on if it’s an emergency but it would only be one if you’d messed up beforehand
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what does he do with the rhubarb leaves?
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If he has any sense - puts them on the compost heap ... take no notice of Apple's idea ... even if there is someone doing it in Poland, it's bonkers ... He's a perpetual wind up merchant - we still love him though ...
Lizbee
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That's a shame, I grow lots of rhubarb. Seriously though, I used Apiguard in the autumn, so what should I do next? Can I wait until next autumn and do apiguard again (unless I see lots of varroa/wing deformity etc and have to do something urgently) or do I have to think about oxalic acid?
The bees have been pottering about all year so far apart from a few very cold days - they are still finding pollen somewhere
The bees have been pottering about all year so far apart from a few very cold days - they are still finding pollen somewhere
