What did you do in the Apiary today?

[G4WIL]

I've been fighting Varroa since 1996 ?
I seem to manage to keep their numbers down .
I used to use bayvoral , thymol , in autumn .
Bayvoral became ineffective around these parts so dribbled OA . Either side of Christmas!
Now I vape once when little or no brood in the hives .
Himalayan Balsam keeps my colonies going through up to and after Ivy is in flower ., making my harvest late September early October .
The balsam is responsible for my hives going into Winter full of young bees .
Vaping 3 times doesn't fit my management .
I know it doesn't kill brood ,neither does it kill Varroa in that brood , so I simply wait until a period of minimum brooding !


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[Millet]

I've been fighting Varroa since 1996 ?
I seem to manage to keep their numbers down .
I used to use bayvoral , thymol , in autumn .
Bayvoral became ineffective around these parts so dribbled OA . Either side of Christmas!
Now I vape once when little or no brood in the hives .
Himalayan Balsam keeps my colonies going through up to and after Ivy is in flower ., making my harvest late September early October .
The balsam is responsible for my hives going into Winter full of young bees .
Vaping 3 times doesn't fit my management .
I know it doesn't kill brood ,neither does it kill Varroa in that brood , so I simply wait until a period of minimum brooding !


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Just a Question but if you wait to vape in January will the winter bees not already be over run with varroa thus weakening them and also causing DWV. ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just a Question but if you wait to vape in January will the winter bees not already be over run with varroa thus weakening them and also causing DWV. ?

You'd think so wouldn't you.
According to LASI if you get practically all the varroa in one hit (or two if you follow the Sussex regime) you get a year's worth of control. With one of their now extinct queens the period increases to 1.5 years.
Maybe the bees can tolerate that much varroa? Perhaps the population number which is at its highest isn't lethal. The number of varroa, after all, will not increase as the brood decreases and will eventually be all phoretic.

I'm not convinced but maybe the trick is to hit all those varroa at a period when the bees aren't brooding for a while (as opposed to having a brood break due to forage shortage in the summer, or as a result of swarming)

I wish LASI could produce some concrete figures rather than just saying, "This is how it is"

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wish LASI could produce some concrete figures rather than just saying, "This is how it is"

Obviously no money in it for them.

Another thig they haven't bothered measuring - the effect on the bees' productivity

 

[Millet]

Obviously no money in it for them.

Another thig they haven't bothered measuring - the effect on the bees' productivity

I do not know what you are aiming at but the bee productivity never changes with vaping or is this little thick **** missing something.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I do not know what you are aiming at but the bee productivity never changes with vaping or is this little thick **** missing something.

Nope - what I'm wondering is - have they compared hives which get left in peace all winter as they've been vaped three times in the autumn with hives in which varroa has been allowed to multiply unchecked through the whole summer and autumn, then have been opened weekly throughout the winter to see if by any chance they are broodless before finally getting vaped once or trickled midwinter after having any brood remaining ripped out.

 

[Beefriendly]

And despite the hype they can only describe them as hygienic bees, not Varroa sensitive hygienic bees.
Although having succumbed to EFB even that claim has its doubters.

 

[victor meldrew]

Mine don't display DWV . and get away each spring no bother ?
I can only speak from experience .

 

[victor meldrew]

Mine don't display DWV . and get away each spring no bother ?
I can only speak from experience .

 

[victor meldrew]

Mine don't display DWV . and get away each spring no bother ?
I can only speak from experience .

 

[G4WIL]

Nope - what I'm wondering is - have they compared hives which get left in peace all winter as they've been vaped three times in the autumn with hives in which varroa has been allowed to multiply unchecked through the whole summer and autumn, then have been opened weekly throughout the winter to see if by any chance they are broodless before finally getting vaped once or trickled midwinter after having any brood remaining ripped out.

I don't open my hives in Winter to check brooding !
I vape in January.
I assume there will be minimum brood in there !
If I don't get the majority . I'll get all the phoretics !


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[G4WIL]

Nope - what I'm wondering is - have they compared hives which get left in peace all winter as they've been vaped three times in the autumn with hives in which varroa has been allowed to multiply unchecked through the whole summer and autumn, then have been opened weekly throughout the winter to see if by any chance they are broodless before finally getting vaped once or trickled midwinter after having any brood remaining ripped out.

I don't open my hives in Winter to check brooding !
I vape in January.
I assume there will be minimum brood in there !
If I don't get the majority . I'll get all the phoretics !
P


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[Erichalfbee]

Have swapped the queens between two colonies today. One was bought to re queen a poor colony and I really want to keep her so a queen due for the chop next spring was substituted. Stupid really, I should have used her first off and united her colony to somebody else. Oh well all done now. One queen in an introduction cage and the other in a push-in.

 

[nantmoel]

Put the rhombus clearer boards on the final two hives, all hives are now down to brood boxes.

 

[pargyle]

Well I cocked up today ... I've got one colony that seemed reluctant to clear from two supers - the clearer board went on yesterday morning under two supers .. by last night - no effect - really wierd. Left it overnight ... no effect this morning - still supers full of bees. So, clever me, I thought - well, let's try them with just one super to clear so I moved the clearer board to under just the top super this morning at the crack of dawn.

Got home after work and my wife says - your bees are swarming - they're all over the place. No they weren't ... I hadn't noticed that the rim on the crownboard had become detached and there was a bee space in one corner ... the queue of bees covered one side of the hive ! They've managed to uncap and remove at least 5 out of the 9 frames in there between 6.45am and 6.00pm tonight ...

Anyone who is under any illusion as to how quickly a colony could be robbed out ... I reckon they managed to remove at least 10 lbs of honey through a single bee space hole in less than 12 hours !!

Costly mistake but at least it seemed to be all my bees making the most of it so it's back in the apiary somewhere ...

However, having corrected the situation, by nightfall the super had cleared down through the clearer board and I've removed what the little beggars have left behind. Won't make that mistake again ....

 

[colinc]

Checked yesterday as sunny. Two hives full of stores looking good for winter at this point but third hive is light and low on stores so have fed them thick syrup today. See how they take it over the next day or two.


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't open my hives in Winter to check brooding !
I vape in January.
I assume there will be minimum brood in there !
If I don't get the majority . I'll get all the phoretics !


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I wasn't asking what you did, I was asking if they had done the research.
You obviously haven't and are happy to compromise your winter bees.

 

[G4WIL]

I wasn't asking what you did, I was asking if they had done the research.

You obviously haven't and are happy to compromise your winter bees.

I'll withhold any answer thank you !
Being the font of all knowledge there was really no need to ask the Question !
If I want abrasion I'll purchase some sand paper !


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[Swarm]

I think you could do with using some exclamation marks

 

[G4WIL]

I think you could do with using some exclamation marks

Mae'n gweithio allan!!!



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