what would you do

[irishguy]

And some didn't lose queens.

Did they treat with 2 strips or 1?

 

[irishguy]

]O dear, all the good work done by JBM seems to be unravelling. 'Too many cooks' and all that. It will likely end in more disaster than earlier.
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I'd treat right now - don't bother with treating the cast; it's so weak it will do more harm than good. Just because you can't see the mites don't mean they're not there. Treat now, then feed some more and they have every chance in the world to see spring.

If using maqs have a super on both hives - they need the extra space - either that or go for apiguard - which would be my choice at this time of yearr

Just to show you why I went with the maqs O9O just to clear up the confusion incase you try to suggest I went against advice!

 

[VEG]

Did they treat with 2 strips or 1?

2....

 

[Swarm]

Did they treat with 2 strips or 1?

Hello irishguy,
I had colonies ranging from newly hived nucs, to double broods with multiple supers. The large colonies had two and the smaller colonies had one.

 

[irishguy]

Hello irishguy,
I had colonies ranging from newly hived nucs, to double broods with multiple supers. The large colonies had two and the smaller colonies had one.

And with the 1 strip, did it remove the mite OK and when you say smaller colonies, how big where they. Reason I'm asking is I'm thinking of removing 1 strip

 

[VEG]

Leave them alone the strips are in there now, you will do more harm messing them about.

 

[Swarm]

Leave them alone the strips are in there now, you will do more harm messing them about.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

go for apiguard - which would be my choice at this time of year.

four weeks will suffice as long as you put the second tray in at the correct time.

Or listen to the sage advice of those people who got you into the mess to begin with. I'll say no more

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I'll say no more

Oh how we have longed to read those words!


Dusty

Erratum I've just noticed that Jenkinsbrynmair didn't finish that sentence with a full stop. An ominous omission.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

An ominous omission.

Which is better than an erroneous emission

 

[irishguy]

Or listen to the sage advice of those people who got you into the mess to begin with. I'll say no more

To be fair jbm, you gave me a choice when you said "decided on your treatment". I know you said my preferred treatment would be apiguard but back then I had a choice after you saying to me decided on my treatment and also you told me to add a super if using maqs so I did think it was a viable option and looked into it and phoned about for other advice. If you weren't so confident about maqs, you should have told me "not to use it all at" instead at all IMO.

 

[pargyle]

I think this is a little churlish ... JBM has dug you out of a hole with his advice since July ... some of which you either chose to ignore or inadvertently ignored ... not one single piece of good advice came from those over there that you keep asking for advice ..

If I was JBM at this stage I'd be calling it quits and suggesting you take up hang gliding ...

Best thing you can do at this stage is stop messing about with them ... I think they will have more chance on their own.

Go back to them in Spring .. do a proper beekeeping course over the winter and get a proper beekeeping book and read it. If you have any bees left in March then start again and have a plan ....then stick to it.

 

[irishguy]

I think this is a little churlish ... JBM has dug you out of a hole with his advice since July ... some of which you either chose to ignore or inadvertently ignored ... not one single piece of good advice came from those over there that you keep asking for advice ..

If I was JBM at this stage I'd be calling it quits and suggesting you take up hang gliding ...

Best thing you can do at this stage is stop messing about with them ... I think they will have more chance on their own.

Go back to them in Spring .. do a proper beekeeping course over the winter and get a proper beekeeping book and read it. If you have any bees left in March then start again and have a plan ....then stick to it.

What's done is done and can't be changed now. Its just the way some posts where worded that thrown me in this direction. In hindsight and with the good weather were getting, I should have went with the apiguard but like they say, hindsight is a great thing!

You say leave them alone to spring something which I disagree with. You see these bees where building up great and with this great weather were getting, if they keep the ratevof growth up, I can see them swarming. I had a quick look of the exterior of the hives and they're quite busy and 1 hive only had 4 dead bees at entrance and tgev other none. If these strips don't effect them badly and this weather keeps up, they just might get to big for the brrod box and swarm, well the one without the super might. I'm basing this on posts I've seen from others who's bees have swarmed in the last week and others who have filled supers in such short space this time of year.

 

[pargyle]

well ...they are your bees and your decision ... bees are always busy in the build up to winter as this is when they store away the food that is vital for them to survive. The chances of them swarming at this time of the year - even with the warm weather we have been having - is pretty slim. Yes, it happens, but it's not something that a new beekeeper should dwell on, bees are not stupid - they are survivalists - if they create queen cells at this time of the year then the chances of a virgin queen getting mated get slimmer as each day passes and most colonies will know that.

As a new beekeeper you should be working on the best odds and the odds are in favour of your colonies getting themselves ready for winter, not swarming - this includes building up store levels in the brood area by backfilling the cells, previously used for brood, with honey. You may also find that they build free comb bridging the tops of the frames and they will be propolising everything together.

Your continual tinkering with the hives at this stage is certainly disturbing your colonies and will not help their preparation for winter. Whichever way you look at it, the likelihood is that autumn WILL arrive shortly (and possibly very quickly) and it's going to be sooner rather than later where you live. I would just be concentrating on hefting or weighing your hives and making sure that they have plenty of stores and leave the brood area well alone ... but, as I said, your hives, your bees ...

Good luck.

 

[irishguy]

well ...they are your bees and your decision ... bees are always busy in the build up to winter as this is when they store away the food that is vital for them to survive. The chances of them swarming at this time of the year - even with the warm weather we have been having - is pretty slim. Yes, it happens, but it's not something that a new beekeeper should dwell on, bees are not stupid - they are survivalists - if they create queen cells at this time of the year then the chances of a virgin queen getting mated get slimmer as each day passes and most colonies will know that.

As a new beekeeper you should be working on the best odds and the odds are in favour of your colonies getting themselves ready for winter, not swarming - this includes building up store levels in the brood area by backfilling the cells, previously used for brood, with honey. You may also find that they build free comb bridging the tops of the frames and they will be propolising everything together.

Your continual tinkering with the hives at this stage is certainly disturbing your colonies and will not help their preparation for winter. Whichever way you look at it, the likelihood is that autumn WILL arrive shortly (and possibly very quickly) and it's going to be sooner rather than later where you live. I would just be concentrating on hefting or weighing your hives and making sure that they have plenty of stores and leave the brood area well alone ... but, as I said, your hives, your bees ...

Good luck.

What about the strips thou, will I just leave them in even thou it says 7 days treatment.

 

[pargyle]

What about the strips thou, will I just leave them in even thou it says 7 days treatment.

As per Veg and Swarm above ... deeds done, leave them in now .. no sense in mucking about. It's the first belt of formic that seems to be where most problems occur .. if they have got through the first couple of days then you can hope. The instructions on MAQS suggest that, in the case of overdosing, then don't remove the strips - just ventilate the hive so:

You have mesh floors ? No tray in ? Not much else you can do ... I certainly wouldn't mess about at the top of the hive.

 

[irishguy]

As per Veg and Swarm above ... deeds done, leave them in now .. no sense in mucking about. It's the first belt of formic that seems to be where most problems occur .. if they have got through the first couple of days then you can hope. The instructions on MAQS suggest that, in the case of overdosing, then don't remove the strips - just ventilate the hive so:

You have mesh floors ? No tray in ? Not much else you can do ... I certainly wouldn't mess about at the top of the hive.

Yeah open mesh floor and I took the enterance reducer out.

What about the extra brood box thou, I'll have to take that off seeing as I've made up the insulation for the hives.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

What about the strips thou, will I just leave them in even thou it says 7 days treatment.

R T F M

I think you will find the information sheet for MAQS, and their website, says that the treatment time is 7 days (not less) - but that you can leave the MAQS strips on as the bees will dispose of them or they will biodegrade.

Less messing, more patience.

Dusty.

 

[pargyle]

OMG... Hadn't noticed that from and earlier post:

"So I went with the maq strips and after phoning a few different members who've used it, I went with 2 strips and put a brood box with frames above the hive. The reason why I did is from others experiences with using it and only one suggested I use 1 strip. We'll just have to wait and see if I've made the right choice. "

So ... where did you put the MAQS strips ? ... and where is JBM when you need him ? You are out of my comfort zone now Irishguy ... what was the thinking behind an empty brood box on top of the existing one ? Am I missing something ? Talk about making an easy job complicated .....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I did suggest a super on top - it seems to be the done thing with people who use MAQS - less chance of Q mortality it seems.I still haven't dabbled with MAQS - I'm waiting to see what problems/benefits emerge after a few seasons before even thinking of using it. Glad i didn't touch it with a barge pole the first year better feedback this year when it was used mid season I'll wait until next year methinks.
But that amount of space cannot be left on all winter.
And as for swarming - this late unlikely, but if it happens it happens. just look at some of the comics who recommend regular inspections still - you should know by now to follow at your own peril!