Varroa

[Bee Boys]

What do people finde to be the best medication for varroa?
I have been looking out for a cheaper medication than Apigard but can not find mutch. Thank you

 

[enrico]

An oxalic vapouriser. Worth every penny. Easy to use and effective.
E

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Cwynejones has out of date amitraz at a slightly better price

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What do people finde to be the best medication for varroa?
I have been looking out for a cheaper medication than Apigard but can not find mutch. Thank you

Which tells you that is the going price for a healthy colony - your priority now is getting your colony in top shape for the raising of winter bees, a heavy load of varroa could compromise that, so a fiver a hive is a small price to pay.
apiguard is effective, I've read good things about Thymovar, amitraz is a much harsher treatment and varroa can build up resistance.
Oxalic may seem cheaper, but you have to take into account the capital outlay on your delivery method and the approved Oxalic treatment is not cheap.

 

[Bee Boys]

My hive has very low varroa , but was gust thinking about trying to lower it even more.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How do you know?

 

[Beefriendly]

How are you assessing your varroa numbers?
I'm presuming either alcohol wash or sugar roll?

 

[Erichalfbee]

My hive has very low varroa , but was gust thinking about trying to lower it even more.

You must measure it properly
An alcohol wash or sugar roll
I use an accelerated drop with oxalic because I have the kit
If you have no accurate way of knowing don’t presume and treat anyway
Have a read here. It’s written by a forum member

https://theapiarist.org/when-to-treat/
It explains when to treat and why.

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you
I have just been looking at the amount of varroa on the board under the open mesh floor.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thank you
I have just been looking at the amount of varroa on the board under the open mesh floor.

So the next few questions are how many? Over how long? How much brood is in the hive.
Remember 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.

 

[Bee Boys]

About 30 mites over 1 month, the hive has 7 frames of brood.

 

[Bee Boys]

I have only had this hive 2 months. I also have another hive that I have just moved out of a nuc that has 6 frames of brood, but I have not counted the mites because I have only had this one month.

 

[jfullerton]

What do people finde to be the best medication for varroa?
I have been looking out for a cheaper medication than Apigard but can not find mutch. Thank you

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

 

[Bee Boys]

Thank you jfullerton.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unless you know what you're doing, go for a packaged and measured product - it is not just 'thymol crystals in fancy packaging' anyway and you would be wise not to listen to such 'advice'

 

[jfullerton]

Thank you jfullerton.

See if you can get your hands on a copy of: Control of Varroa A Guide for New Zealand Beekeepers
ISBN: 9780473123925, from your local library or association. It is published by the New Zealand government and gives their results from tests with many different chemicals, including, interestingly, thymol crystals.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Given up testing for varroa I just take it they need doing twice yearly... Never heard amitraz is harsh.... It's no where nr maqs

 

[Erichalfbee]

Given up testing for varroa I just take it they need doing twice yearly... Never heard amitraz is harsh.... It's no where nr maqs

The difference between the two is that the first is a man made pesticide and the second occurs naturally in honey

 

[B+.]

The difference between the two is that the first is a man made pesticide and the second occurs naturally in honey

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?