What diseases to expect?

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Metamorphosis

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I am waiting for a swarm to put into my hive that is prepared for the bees. It has all new foundation on the frames and I have been told that when I get the bees I will have to feed them syrup.

My question is;
Please advise what in the way of diseases can I expect with a swarm?

I have searched but came up without an answer.

Thank you.
 
They would most likely have no disease,as most often a colony that has got strong enough to swarm in the first place is usually a healthy one,but this is not guaranteed,they will most likely have some varroa, but this is not a disease, and is easily treated when the queen starts to lay,but before they have any capped brood.
 
Thank you Hivemaker for such a quick reply.

they will most likely have some varroa, but this is not a disease, and is easily treated when the queen starts to lay,but before they have any capped brood.

Sorry to keep asking questions but I am not sure what you are saying about varroa.
Do I treat with oxalic acid solution? What strength? How do I treat?

If you get fed up with my questions please tell me and I'll stop.

Thank you
 
Yes many use oxalic acid,3.2% on swarms,or formic acid on a pad,blast method,i use my own kind of thymol treatment for 48 hours and it clears the bee's of mites very well,you need to reduce entrance to about 2 inches,i have also used formic many times. you need to wait until the queen is laying and has small larvae,less risk of them absconding athough i also place a Q exluder between floor and brood while treating, same as a shook swarm,so the Queen cannot leave,treat before the brood is sealed,because if it is you are too late,any mites will be under the cappings.
 
Last edited:
In the same situation

Hivemaker,

I shall be in the same situation as Metamorphosis when I get a swarm, all new frames and foundation, etc.

Can you explain how to make your Thymol treatment, please?

It's many years since I attended a beginners course, and I don't remember being told about treatments, I don't think that problems were as widespread then.

John
 
IMy question is;
Please advise what in the way of diseases can I expect with a swarm?

.

AFB does not move via swarm. It has been researched.

Weakness to chalkrood is in genes.

Other diseases you need not to mind.

Worse than disease is instinct to swarm or nasty nature. They you may handle when you change the queen to good quality.

.
 
Hi Planbee. this is the recipe,which uses 4 g less thymol than apiguard.The mixture is 8 grams thymol to 12 grams oil,sunflower,rape,olive or even old chip oil,multiply this measurment to make more.

warm in old pan outdoors until all the thymol crystals have dissolved then add 20 mil of this mixture to a piece of the green absorbent garden oasis(not the grey one) this is the size of a sardine tin or half pound cut comb container. two inches wide, three and a half long, and 8 mil thick. put oasis in container then put liquid on, leave overnight to soak in,will soak in better if warm.

To treat bee's cut this in half and place the two parts on top of brood frames over the brood area. reduce entrance to about 2 inches and block off any feed holes,give second treatment in twelve days and another twelve days later.
i just move the previous treatment to the outside of the brood box on the edges,some bee's chew this right away to nothing others don't touch it some just nibble the corners,makes no differene as it still works really well.

look at varroa floor the next day,mites will be dead. needs to be used in warmish weather and some bee's may hang out of entrance for a couple of days others take no notice,no bad effect on bee's or queens,helps to prevent chalkbrood, much more effective than apiguard.

I believe this was tested on around 5000 hives over a period of time in spain,i have used this and this alone for the past five years,and it does not hurt if left in.
nucs use half this dose.I also tried formic in nassenhieder evaporators and canadian blast method,good for killing queens.do not use when supers are on,can bee used on swarms as soon as queen stars to lay but before brood is sealed or if bad build up of mites in summer by doing artificial swarm and treating the broodless bee's for a short time and parent colony until all young bee's have emerged and the mites killed.
Mop up in winter with oxalic.
 
I have a couple of these you are welcome to have and use, providing they are still good after the use by date, which i think was March.

Trickle 2

trickle2.jpg
A double 3.2% oxalic acid/sugar syrup treatment of 100ml. For Hive Health Maintenance.
Enough for 2 standard hives. Dispensed accurately from a tried and tested container. Simply squeeze the bottle until 5ml. of solution is in the upper chamber, if you squeeze over 5ml. the residue will return to the main chamber. Hold the container with the 5ml. chamber closest to your wrist, unlock the nozzle and invert. Squeeze gently, running the liquid along the first seam of bees, once the 5ml. chamber is empty, turn the container over and refill chamber with a quick squeeze, it will always level out at 5ml. Repeat the process on the next seam. Once treatment is complete dispose of the empty container responsibly. Simple, efficient and safe for you and your bees.
 
I will be treating with oxalic acid for swarms running into a Nuc. The solution is of 2.8% strength.
I used 1Ltr of water to 1kg of sugar and 34grams of oxalic acid grains.

When the bees run into the Nuc they will be sprayed with the solution.
Then carry out the normal winter treatment.

Yours;
 
Thanks for that, Hivemaker, and others, a superb description of just what to do, exactly what the forum is for!

I'm sure that others on here, less experienced, like me, will also find it useful,

John
 
I will be treating with oxalic acid for swarms running into a Nuc. The solution is of 2.8% strength.
I used 1Ltr of water to 1kg of sugar and 34grams of oxalic acid grains.

When the bees run into the Nuc they will be sprayed with the solution.
Then carry out the normal winter treatment.

Yours;

Is That equal to about 5ml of solution per seam of bee's,about 30ml sprayed per Nuc ?
 
To be honest with you Admin I don't know.

I think its probably less, as a spray dispenses finer amounts of solution, whereas the 5ml solution is for one seam of bees.
Once the bees are spread out on the running board its just a case of 3-4 sprays over the lot and in they go.
I will try to photograph this manipulation.

Yours;
 
Thanks Metamorphosis,I was just trying to highlight that you dont spray the whole Litre of solution.
 
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