Very low varroa counts: prophylactic treatment or not?

[Amari]

Only occasionally do I count varroa using sticky paper on a varroa board (OK, I realise the method has its faults) but did so last w/e in preparation for possible late season treatment. For the last few years I've treated blindly with Amitraz late August and a single OA vape early December.
My three colonies in the home apiary showed a total varroa drop over 72 hours of 3, 7, 2 mites. Frankly I was amazed - and pleased. Presumably I don't need to treat this month? - I was going to vape OA x3 by way of a change, I even splashed out, at huge extravagance, on a compact Instantvap!

 

[Sutty]

As you have the instantvap why not try treating one colony and seeing what the drop is like, you may be surprisingly pleased - or horrified!
I'd also buy in a lifetime's supply of OA as soon as possible as sourcing it seems to be becoming problematic.

 

[jarmo henttu]

Only occasionally do I count varroa using sticky paper on a varroa board (OK, I realise the method has its faults) but did so last w/e in preparation for possible late season treatment. For the last few years I've treated blindly with Amitraz late August and a single OA vape early December.
My three colonies in the home apiary showed a total varroa drop over 72 hours of 3, 7, 2 mites. Frankly I was amazed - and pleased. Presumably I don't need to treat this month? - I was going to vape OA x3 by way of a change, I even splashed out, at huge extravagance, on a compact Instantvap!

It is better to kill a amall amount mites than to wait that you get a huge amount of mites.

Varroa double itself in a month.

 

[fian]

Taking into account that the reference for the process you have used is 5 varroas per day and that at this time only 20% of varroa will be foretic, I would try in 2 ways:
A. I would remove 1/3 of the panels without bees, with more closed brood and with darker lids (older age), which I would place on top of the weakest hive (the one with the highest count or the one with the fewest brood frames).
B.On this hive I would do 2 vaporizations, the first three days after doing the process and the second after seven days. In the other 2 I would do another 2 vaporizations, one at seven and another at eleven days.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Only occasionally do I count varroa using sticky paper on a varroa board (OK, I realise the method has its faults) but did so last w/e in preparation for possible late season treatment. For the last few years I've treated blindly with Amitraz late August and a single OA vape early December.
My three colonies in the home apiary showed a total varroa drop over 72 hours of 3, 7, 2 mites. Frankly I was amazed - and pleased. Presumably I don't need to treat this month? - I was going to vape OA x3 by way of a change, I even splashed out, at huge extravagance, on a compact Instantvap!

Do an 24 hour accelerated drop on all of them. More than 20 and you need to treat
OR sugar roll them.

 

[pargyle]

Taking into account that the reference for the process you have used is 5 varroas per day and that at this time only 20% of varroa will be foretic, I would try in 2 ways:
A. I would remove 1/3 of the panels without bees, with more closed brood and with darker lids (older age), which I would place on top of the weakest hive (the one with the highest count or the one with the fewest brood frames).
B.On this hive I would do 2 vaporizations, the first three days after doing the process and the second after seven days. In the other 2 I would do another 2 vaporizations, one at seven and another at eleven days.

Sorry ... this is about the most useless advice anyone has ever provided on here for anything to do with Varroa !

There are three options for Amari.

1. Clean the sticky board, get the Instant Vap going and see what the drop of mites is with a forced drop.

2. Do a sugar roll on a cupful of bees and see what the real count is.

3. Do nothing - and as a non-treater - in my view this is not an option. Natural mite drop is notorious for it's total inaccuracy - if he is considering not treating (and if the colony is truly light on varroa it's an option) then he needs to be aware of what the TRUE mite load is.

WIth hard evidence of the mite load you have options.

 

[fian]

Sorry ... this is about the most useless advice anyone has ever provided on here for anything to do with Varroa !

There are three options for Amari.

1. Clean the sticky board, get the Instant Vap going and see what the drop of mites is with a forced drop.

2. Do a sugar roll on a cupful of bees and see what the real count is.

3. Do nothing - and as a non-treater - in my view this is not an option. Natural mite drop is notorious for it's total inaccuracy - if he is considering not treating (and if the colony is truly light on varroa it's an option) then he needs to be aware of what the TRUE mite load is.

WIth hard evidence of the mite load you have options.

And once you have done 1 or 2 and found an unacceptable level of varroa, what should I do?

 

[Amari]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'll report back after doing a forced drop/?sugar roll (never done one before)

 

[jarmo henttu]

Only occasionally do I count varroa using sticky paper on a varroa board (OK, I realise the method has its faults) but did so last w/e in preparation for possible late season treatment. For the last few years I've treated blindly with Amitraz late August and a single OA vape early December.
My three colonies in the home apiary showed a total varroa drop over 72 hours of 3, 7, 2 mites. Frankly I was amazed - and pleased. Presumably I don't need to treat this month? - I was going to vape OA x3 by way of a change, I even splashed out, at huge extravagance, on a compact Instantvap!

Some count mites and some just kill them

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And once you have done 1 or 2 and found an unacceptable level of varroa, what should I do?

Weigh the container on the scale. Write down the value.

Take the temperature of the sample and average between

 

[pargyle]

And once you have done 1 or 2 and found an unacceptable level of varroa, what should I do?

Well ... there you have a choice - if I had a colony that was exhibiting continual high loads of varroa then I would treat them .. I'm not a zealot for being TF - I'm a pragmatist - if colonies can survive and thrive without treatment for varroa I see no reason to treat them. If they are not thriving and there is a high mite load on a regular basis - they need to be treated - otherwise they will succumb.

My views and methods are well documented on here along with the reasons why I am able to keep bees, in my location, without treatment and I'm not going to repeat them.

 

[madasafish]

As you have the instantvap why not try treating one colony and seeing what the drop is like, you may be surprisingly pleased - or horrified!
I'd also buy in a lifetime's supply of OA as soon as possible as sourcing it seems to be becoming problematic.

Old Castle Farms sell OA.. I struggled to find a supplier.

 

[Buzby]

https://shop.hdchemicals.co.uk/products/oxalic-acid?_pos=1&_sid=a41b15701&_ss=r

 

[Erichalfbee]

https://shop.hdchemicals.co.uk/products/oxalic-acid?_pos=1&_sid=a41b15701&_ss=r

Yes that’s where I stocked up.
I know somebody who has an Oxalic mountain. I will burgle them when I run out.

 

[Sutty]

Yes that’s where I stocked up.
I know somebody who has an Oxalic mountain. I will burgle them when I run out.

How much constitutes a "mountain"?
I've bought a fair bit recently!

 

[Erichalfbee]

How much constitutes a "mountain"?
I've bought a fair bit recently!

It’s ok. It’s not you

 

[Garry R]

C Wynne Jones has it in stock

 

[Sutty]

I sometimes do more than 3 treatments, so let's say 5.
My number of hives varies 5-12, let's say 15.
2g per treatment.

So 5x15x2=150g per annum.

So 8kg will last 53yrs - I'll be 114.
I reckon I'll have "stopped beekeeping" by then.

The oak door drip rail I was planning to bleach recently will be ok too!

 

[Erichalfbee]

C Wynne Jones has it in stock

I couldn't find it. Link please?

 

[Garry R]

https://www.cwynnejones.com/home/638-oxalic-crystals-500g.html?ssa_query=oxalic acid