What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Antipodes]

Brisbane forecast looks interesting, rainfall wise. That will make inspections rather tricky. Look at the rain forecast.. Imagine the bees trying to dry their nectar.

http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/brisbane.shtml

 

[elainemary]

Yes, you have to realise that with a sublimox, it's not just a good mask and eye protection but the fact that with clouds of sublimate around, it gets on all your clothing, and when you remove the mask.........................................

OMG!

 

[elainemary]

What clouds? There aren’t any.

Phew! Sounds not as bad as described if careful & with right protection

 

[Ian123]

Colonies in the ground in the uk are rare and have only ever seen a couple in the past. Those plastic compost bins don’t really count. Have removed some from a coral rock face in the past,they loved the cavities formed and become a pest when there’s to many at the tourist attraction. What part of SA are you in..Ian

 

[Erichalfbee]

Phew! Sounds not as bad as described if careful & with right protection

I'm doing mine this afternoon. I'll see if I can get Stan to video me

 

[pargyle]

I'm doing mine this afternoon. I'll see if I can get Stan to video me

Do you still have your vaping crown boards in place or will you take the crown board off, replace with your vaping one and then put the original back after vaping ?

It's a nice day down here and one of the colonies I look after is dropping more mites on the board than I would like to see ... too late to be sugar rolling and it's a poly hive and I was going to vape from under the mesh floor but ... thinking about it. (I spend a lot of time thinking - probably more than I do doing !) .. might make a vaping crown board and do it from above.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you still have your vaping crown boards in place or will you take the crown board off, replace with your vaping one and then put the original back after vaping ?

It's a nice day down here and one of the colonies I look after is dropping more mites on the board than I would like to see ... too late to be sugar rolling and it's a poly hive and I was going to vape from under the mesh floor but ... thinking about it. (I spend a lot of time thinking - probably more than I do doing !) .. might make a vaping crown board and do it from above.

Loathe to crack the crownboard so vaping from the bottom.
The ekes were removed after autumn treatment

 

[victor meldrew]

I’ve wrestled with Varroa since approx 1996 . Used most of the chemical strips until the mites became immune . Gave up on apiguard as I have late honey flows !
for a good few years I’ve relied on OA vapouring once a year either side of Christmas ( weather dependent)
applied under the omf !
no distorted wing detected .
the bees come through fine !
I read of beekeepers spending more time and hive visits applying varroa treatments than I can shake a stick at and wonder, what’s all that about !

 

[pargyle]

Loathe to crack the crownboard so vaping from the bottom.
The ekes were removed after autumn treatment

I have feeder holes (covered of course) in my polycarbonate crownboards with top bee space - I wondered if I made a cone to fit over the feeder hole (I can turn one on the lathe) and gas vap through the top it would disperse into the hive without cracking the crown board ?

 

[gmonag]

I don't think you need to make anything. Just vape through the feeder hole and replace the cover.

 

[pargyle]

I don't think you need to make anything. Just vape through the feeder hole and replace the cover.

Really ? That would be good if it works - The hole is about 50mm in diameter ... I would have thought more would come out than would go in - but I've always vaped from below in the past - either through the entrance on the timber ones or from below the mesh floor in polys. I thought a cone would contain the vapour and force it downwards into the hive ...

 

[madasafish]

I don't think you need to make anything. Just vape through the feeder hole and replace the cover.

Why did I not think of that?

Thanks
Going to try an ice cream tub, hole cut for vaporiser, foam on bottom to seal, Place on top of feed hole..

Will report back..

 

[victor meldrew]

Why did I not think of that?

Thanks
Going to try an ice cream tub, hole cut for vaporiser, foam on bottom to seal, Place on top of feed hole..

Will report back..

Maybe an ice cream container wouldn’t stand the temperature of the end of the delivery tube ?
bearing in mind any attempt at extending it etc would cause premature crystallisation? I did say crystallisation

 

[Erichalfbee]

Six today
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9xpai3ldibyfu42/Sublimox.mov?dl=0

 

[GuyNir]

1st year I’m treating so this is quite new to me. Vaped all hives and nucs this (nice) afternoon.

 

[user 819]

I have feeder holes (covered of course) in my polycarbonate crownboards with top bee space - I wondered if I made a cone to fit over the feeder hole (I can turn one on the lathe) and gas vap through the top it would disperse into the hive without cracking the crown board ?

Vaped two colonies via the top 40mm feed hole in my poly carb CB's, the bees were meandering around quite freely. If left off completely quite a few would exit until the sublimation is under way. For mine I have a made up a circular 55mm spacer out of spare 4mm poly cab and the nozzle of my gasvap pokes through a hole in the top. I hole saw some poly carb rings and glue them together then a final poly carb disc/lid is glued to the rings, then angle a 8mm hole for the spout to poke thru.
I shortened and added a bend in the extension.

 

[victor meldrew]

Vaped two colonies via the top 40mm feed hole in my poly carb CB's, the bees were meandering around quite freely. If left off completely quite a few would exit until the sublimation is under way. For mine I have a made up a circular 55mm spacer out of spare 4mm poly cab and the nozzle of my gasvap pokes through a hole in the top. I hole saw some poly carb rings and glue them together then a final poly carb disc/lid is glued to the rings, then angle a 8mm hole for the spout to poke thru.
I shortened and added a bend in the extension.View attachment 23423

Is this a bridge cottage vapouriser ?

 

[Apple]

Is this a bridge cottage vapouriser ?

Looks bloody lethal..... PLEASE take care!!

Nadelik Lowen

 

[Angry_Mob]

Treated all hives and nucs. Some nucs are lighter than I want so will feed tomorrow if the rain stays away.

 

[victor meldrew]

Looks bloody lethal..... PLEASE take care!!

Nadelik Lowen

No frills , crude but totally efficient!
the tendency is to apply too much heat. Evident in the discolouration of the copper !
Dangerous? No it’s well made and the delivery system for the OA is neat.
you can charge a series of copper cups leaving one on each hive to use without having to cool the used ones down.