Varroa

[Beefriendly]

No maximum defined limit for OA, but there is for levels of acidity in honey, to which it contributes. Data, to date, shows no increase in levels in honey after sublimation.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm curious. At what level does it "occur naturally in honey" and how much does sublimation add? Also, is there a threshold beyond which it becomes unpalatable/toxic?.....and .... a supplementary question: if you artificially increase the level of a component, doesn't this qualify as an "additive", so, do you declare this on the label?

Some of your questions are answered here
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eea2/566024bdc5602b2be61708acda659d4e9751.pdf

Here is a snip

Other researchers (Radezki, 1994; Mutinelli et al., 1997; Del Nozal et al., 2000; Bernardini and Gardi, 2001) did residue studies after single oxalic acid treatments and could not detect residues in the sugar feed, compared to the levels found before the treatments. Our studies, carried out with honey, lead to the same conclusions. Even two oxalic acid treatments in autumn did not cause an increase of the oxalic acid concentration in honey of the next year.

You need to add quite a lot of both to alter the taste

 

[Bee Boys]

some pictures of the frame

 

[Bee Boys]

Sorry posted in wrong thred

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Apiguard is just thymol crystals packaged expensively.....

Thank you jfullerton.

Also, as a beginner, you should be aware that under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate you risk prosecution if you do not use approved and licenced treatments but use home made remedies using the same listed components instead

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you JBM

 

[mbc]

Apiguard is just thymol crystals packaged expensively.....

Beer and whisky are both alcohol but have different effects when drunk, I think apiguard is a rather neat and effective delivery system for thymol for varroa treatment, it is dear for what it is mind.

 

[gmonag]

most varroa, 80 %, is in your capped brood.
That’s why an accelerated drop works so well as it gets practically all the phoretic mites in 24 hours and you simply multiply by 5.
From there you can extrapolate to a level where the bees are in trouble using the rough premise that varroa double every three to four weeks.

That is just brilliant! Can you confirm the maths? What is your source for the 80% figure. Does it apply at all times of the year?

 

[B+.]

Does it apply at all times of the year?

Absolutely not. In the early Spring, most bees will be phoretic as there won't be any sealed brood.
I think it was intended as a guestimate rather than a reliable figure to work on. A small percentage (~5%) will also be infertile so they won't reproduce.

 

[Walrus]

This is really helpful once you get the hang of it. Randy Oliver put in a huge amount of work to come up with this model. You need to tweak it to fit with your colony size/treatment timings

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/randys-varroa-model/

 

[Erichalfbee]

That is just brilliant! Can you confirm the maths? What is your source for the 80% figure. Does it apply at all times of the year?

When there is brood like Paul says.
It’s a good guesstimate for me at this time of year
If you’ve no brood and you do an accelerated drop with a fast acting miticide you’ve got all the little buggers in one hit. For those that are happy with oxalic, taking every opportunity when colonies are brood less, gets the varroa every time.

 

[B+.]

When there is brood like Paul says.
It’s a good guesstimate for me at this time of year
If you’ve no brood and you do an accelerated drop with a fast acting miticide you’ve got all the little buggers in one hit. For those that are happy with oxalic, taking every opportunity when colonies are brood less, gets the varroa every time.

@Dani...explain "accelerated" mite drop for the beginners.

Another thing to bear in mind is the availability of drone brood. Not because foundress mites prefer them but because the longer development of drones (24 days vs 21 for workers and 16 for queens) gives them longer to raise more adult daughters (immature daughters and males do not survive outside the cell).
The old Jeff Harris video is a good starting point to understand what is going on.
Obviously, at this time of year, the number of adult drones will be reducing but any adult varroa females released as they emerge from their cells will have a lingering effect on the colony.

 

[Erichalfbee]

@Dani...explain "accelerated" mite drop for the beginners.

.

Yes I should
The point of an accelerated drop is to knock down all the phoretic mites quickly recognising that mites are emerging every day to skew your numbers.
You need a fast acting miticide not Apiguard and Amitraz which are slow acting.
Dribbled or sublimated oxalic will do but bear in mind that if you dribble you can’t use that again should you need to treat.
Icing sugar is an alternative but invasive. I prefer sublimation as you don’t even have to open the hive and the bees tolerate it well.
Count the drop in 24 hours. No longer

 

[gmonag]

It sounds like a good method. I already have an OA vapourizer (plus respirator) and used it when I first got my swarms. So I will try this test soon. It seems more sympathetic than alcohol washing.