What do the bees do with Apiguard?

[wbchive]

Do they actually eat it or do they munch it from the tray, take it down through the hive and chuck it out of the entrance?

Steve J.

 

[Firegazer]

I guess they eat it, and then their 'blood' and everything stinks of Thymol, in a similar way to eating too much garlic. This kills/stuns/annoys the mites?

Anyone actually watched them?

 

[OXFORDBEE]

Do they actually eat it or do they munch it from the tray, take it down through the hive and chuck it out of the entrance?

Yes they can. It does depend on the bees... I often find the trays dumped outside the front of the hive within a week of treatment.

Be careful where you put the tray as any brood under the tray will be evicted.

Bees hate it and it's not nice stuff.

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Anyone out there tried Exomite?
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[Heather]

Oops, I read to put the Apiguard on top of the brood area- leaving a bee space before the cover board so they can wander over it... and you say all brood under will be evicted....have I been doing it wrongly

 

[mark s]

hi all
ive only just put api on my hive,just for future reference,have i let it a bit on the late side or am i ok
thanx

 

[Heather]

I think that as long as the weather is warm enough then its still fine to do now.Just doesn't work well when temp low.
And I will still do an Oxalic in Dec - on the first sunny warm day so they don't chill when I open the hive

 

[RoofTops]

... I often find the trays dumped outside the front of the hive within a week of treatment. QUOTE]

How on earth do they get the tray out of the hive? It is supposed to be put on top of the brood frames. I assume because the fumes are heavier than air and therefore fall down through the hive.

 

[Heather]

Phew, thanks rooftops - wow -strong girls in Oxford. No handbags in the middle of the dance floor there.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Be careful where you put the tray as any brood under the tray will be evicted.

I think Oxford has placed it above the frames, hence the above statment. But I also can not see how they can drag it out the entrance? (Reduced entrances and mouse guards on)

 

[rae]

Oops, I read to put the Apiguard on top of the brood area- leaving a bee space before the cover board so they can wander over it... and you say all brood under will be evicted....have I been doing it wrongly

I'm also now worried about this....the packet says "put it on the frames in the centre of the brood box"....have I now evicted the centre of the brood (OK, there isn't a lot of brood right now, but I'd rather not evict my winter bees.)

 

[East Yorks New Bee]

See this thread
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2373

 

[mark s]

so looking at that thread surely it does not matter where u place it on the frames,as most of the work seems to be being done by the workers disting it around the hive,or am i just waffling

 

[Heather]

It has sent one of my queens off lay - just hope she regroups, as smatter of capped only. All the rest are doing great guns.

 

[gtb]

Take a look at the manufacturer's website:

Apiguard has two complementary modes of action. Firstly, the thymol vapour spreads through the colony with the help of fanning from the bees' wings and attacks the varroa mites by inhalation. Secondly, the worker bees carry and spread the gel through the colony when they communicate physically with each other. Apiguard then kills off the varroa mites by contact.

There are also instructions on how to use it properly in their FAQ.

 

[OXFORDBEE]

I use buckets of Apiguard and cardbord trays (with a silver side) that come with the buckets.

The bees will chew all the cardboard away from under the tray and then drag out the silver side and dump it outside the hive entrance. If there was no record of treating them you could open the hive a week after treating it and think you'd forgotten to treat them.

The mode of action seems to vary between hives. Some stocks take great offense to it and the tray if in the hive will be picked clean in which case it will be spread by bodily contact.

Others think its rubbish, and crap all over it when it dries! In this case it must be the action of the fumes...

 

[Nellie]

It has sent one of my queens off lay - just hope she regroups, as smatter of capped only. All the rest are doing great guns.

Reduction or cessation of laying is one of the listed side effects of using Apiguard according to Vita.

 

[Ewok]

Does Apiguard increase aggression?
I've had the apiguard in for just over a week now & just got my first sting, an un-provoked attack whilst I was near the hive.
This is from a colony that normally are pussy cats but the last few days, especially when it's warm & you can smell the thymol they have been a bit touchy to say the least.

 

[rae]

Does Apiguard increase aggression?

Not for my bees. We checked the apiguard last weekend, just lifted the eke and had a look, and we didn't bother with smoke. Even the grumpy hive seems more placid than normal.

 

[Heather]

No, no difference in temperament with mine- is the queen there, laying etc?? Even if off lay - check she is there... only real reason for a sudden change in behaviour that I can think of if they have been happy to be looked at when in full honey flow - some get protective then

 

[wbchive]

See this thread

Thanks EYNB. I'd missed that one.

Steve J