Weak colony with DWV - what are my options?

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Stedic

House Bee
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
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Location
Leicester, UK
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Inspected today and found one colony which has failed to thrive. Saw a few bees with DWV, which I had never seen before. There were also some works who appeared to have died while emerging, which was odd.

The colony had 3 x Oxalic vapes in the autumn and one in January. Nonetheless, am I right to think this is likely to be a varroa issue?

My thoughts were to clear the supers (only partially filled), and vape them as you would do in the autumn. I guess I’ll add the supers back on after vapour settles? Alternatively I could remove the supers and give them a second brood box to work with. I just need them to have room for the flow during the treatment regime.

Alternatives would be MAQS and shook swarms? Not sure I’m keen on MAQS and I don’t know if they are strong enough to handle a shook swarm.
 
Inspected today and found one colony which has failed to thrive. Saw a few bees with DWV, which I had never seen before. There were also some works who appeared to have died while emerging, which was odd.

The colony had 3 x Oxalic vapes in the autumn and one in January. Nonetheless, am I right to think this is likely to be a varroa issue?

My thoughts were to clear the supers (only partially filled), and vape them as you would do in the autumn. I guess I’ll add the supers back on after vapour settles? Alternatively I could remove the supers and give them a second brood box to work with. I just need them to have room for the flow during the treatment regime.

Alternatives would be MAQS and shook swarms? Not sure I’m keen on MAQS and I don’t know if they are strong enough to handle a shook swarm.

First assess your Varroa load to check that's really the problem - OMF, drone uncapping, bees in alcohol, take your pick. THEN decide on a plan - MAQS easiest, one application and safe with supers on. I wouldn't vape until you can figure out what when wrong in the autumn - what was your treatment regime? What tools did you use?

How do the larvae look? What's the brood pattern?
 
From our very little experience, the association where my better half goes, has had nothing but trouble with MAQS with queens not laying or loses. we have been advised to use Apivar or vaping as the only relatively safe and reliable varoa treatment.
so would think Vaping would be best option?

PS dont take our word for it as its only our first full year!
 
From our very little experience, the association where my better half goes, has had nothing but trouble with MAQS with queens not laying or loses. we have been advised to use Apivar or vaping as the only relatively safe and reliable varoa treatment.
so would think Vaping would be best option?

PS dont take our word for it as its only our first full year!

I've found that queens sometimes go off lay with MAQS but its only temporary. YMMV.
 
I think the autumn may not have been as effective as they were on an old floor with a poor drawer. So my theory is that more vapour escaped than I realised.

Larvae all look absolutely fine other than about 3 that looked to have died while emerging. Brood pattern looks reasonable. No signs of fouls brood, sac brood, chalk brood etc. All other colonies in the apiary are healthy. Colony built well coming out of winter but then stalled.
 
A few vapes around Christmas time may have stopped the problem..I do mine regardless of mite drop and if I was in your situation I would be vaping 3 or 4 times five days apart.

Yeah, I thought the one of treatment when likely broodless would have sorted it. I will be vaping them as a matter of urgency. After s couple of vapes I might give them a frame of brood from another colony to boost them back a little.
 
Alternatives would be MAQS and shook swarms?

Shook swarm is never the answer - in this case it would probably finish the poor buggers off.
No time for a long series of investigations, my thoughts are there is still a bit of a varroa problem, maybe also the queen is just flagging (in which case, again, MAQS could finish the job)
Doubt that the ill fitting floor was the issue - the vapour rises, then de-sublimates and the crystals fall onto the bees - a bit of vapour leaking at the bottom is neither here nor there, I don't even shut up the hives when I vape.
I'd aim to do a four dose vaping ASAP - the first three five days apart and the last one four. Clearing the supers as, if as you say, they've failed to thrive, they don't really need.
 
Shook swarm is never the answer - in this case it would probably finish the poor buggers off.
No time for a long series of investigations, my thoughts are there is still a bit of a varroa problem, maybe also the queen is just flagging (in which case, again, MAQS could finish the job)
Doubt that the ill fitting floor was the issue - the vapour rises, then de-sublimates and the crystals fall onto the bees - a bit of vapour leaking at the bottom is neither here nor there, I don't even shut up the hives when I vape.
I'd aim to do a four dose vaping ASAP - the first three five days apart and the last one four. Clearing the supers as, if as you say, they've failed to thrive, they don't really need.

They were filling the supers which is why I added them. But now they are emptying. I guess the foraging force must be weakened, which combined with the weather has upset things.
 

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