When in august to start autumn apiguard?

[MandF]

Hi all,

Living in London I wanted to give the girls as long as possible to fill the supers, so my intention was to start the autumn apiguard treatment late august.

I am going away on holiday for a couple of weeks on 9th September, so my initial thought was to put the first tray in on 25th, then the second 2 weeks later on 8th Sept.

I then thought maybe I could do the first tray on 9th September, so did a quick google for the usual autumn apiguard date in London, and found a post from another West London association talking about starting on 6th August, and telling all their members to do the same. To me that is too early, as I know we have some himalayan balsam around here and my bees are on it.

Anyway, just looking for suggestions on when to treat - will temps still be ok in mid/late october (6 weeks after 9th Sep)? Or is 25th August sensible for first tray which will mean the treatment ends early October?

If thats also too late I could get the first tray in on 14th August, then second tray on 28th which I could leave on until I get back from hol late sept.

Thanks!

 

[VEG]

I do mine in October due to the amount of balsom we have around.

 

[Mike101]

Its all about striking the right balance. Maximising your honey crop and giving the apiguard the best chance of working.

If you have a significant mite problem then I would not wait for the end of August but get the apiguard on now - better to lose some honey and come out of winter and into next spring with a healthy colony with a low mite count, on the other hand if your mite population is under control hang on for the honey.

I tend to get the supers off a little early which means if I need to apigurd the temps are still ok and any last nectar goes into the brood box which will sustain the bees through the apiguard treatment prior to the autumn feed going on.

Also there are large regional variations regarding temp and nectar flow.

 

[drstitson]

since the 15C quoted in the apiguard docs is stated as to ensure bee activity (to move the stuff around teh hive rather than sufficient temp for vapourisation then anytime before late autumn/early winter should be fine.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

At a talk from the National Bee Inspector (Andy Wattam) on the weekend, he suggested starting thymol treatments asap (in our neck of the woods anyway) - the later it is left the less likely it is to be fully effective. They need a month and the weather from mid september, let alone october is not exactly nailed on warm.

Personally I'm intending to drag off what I can this weekend and slapping the apilife var on immediately

 

[whizzwheels]

I'm taking the remaining honey off this weekend and starting treatment, especially as I'm away for 10 days in the middle of September and one my hive could do with treating sooner rather that later as I saw a number of bees with deformed wings when I checked yesterday.

 

[tidymeup]

I am the same I need to get them done ASAP unlike last year when it was to cold really. Even despite a moderate balsam flow.

 

[djg]

I have always treated later than the standard timeframe (mid-August), starting in early September, with the central London temperature some 2 degrees higher than rest of SE England and forage available from gardens, municipal planting, parks, railway lines etc.

Also, mite drop is very light right now, so I'll be holding on to September in SE1.

 

[user 6228]

since the 15C quoted in the apiguard docs is stated as to ensure bee activity (to move the stuff around teh hive rather than sufficient temp for vapourisation then anytime before late autumn/early winter should be fine.

if its activity inside the hive would you leave it a bit later in in a polyhive then?

 

[MandF]

We dont have any obvious mite problem - low to zero drops when we have the tray in.

We also plan to use oxalic in winter.

I think I will stick with plan A then, first tray in on 25th Aug, September temps in London should be well above 15deg.

Thanks

 

[Tom Bick]

Hi all,

Living in London I wanted to give the girls as long as possible to fill the supers, so my intention was to start the autumn apiguard treatment late august.

I am going away on holiday for a couple of weeks on 9th September, so my initial thought was to put the first tray in on 25th, then the second 2 weeks later on 8th Sept.

I then thought maybe I could do the first tray on 9th September, so did a quick google for the usual autumn apiguard date in London, and found a post from another West London association talking about starting on 6th August, and telling all their members to do the same. To me that is too early, as I know we have some himalayan balsam around here and my bees are on it.

Anyway, just looking for suggestions on when to treat - will temps still be ok in mid/late october (6 weeks after 9th Sep)? Or is 25th August sensible for first tray which will mean the treatment ends early October?

If thats also too late I could get the first tray in on 14th August, then second tray on 28th which I could leave on until I get back from hol late sept.

Thanks!

I think that may be my association of Ealing, and knowing the apiary that they refer to its probably not to early as it will hit the mites early and give the bees good time to raise young winter bees, but then all our situations are different I will be starting mine this next weekend.

Will the temperature be ok in mid late October?? that’s a risk in my opinion.

Also at that time year your queen if not already will be reducing the brood nest by quite a good size and all the mites in the hive will be concentrating into a smaller brood nest just at the time when you want that brood to be healthy with your winter bees to take you through to spring the following year.

My advice is to remove your honey unless you are experiencing an exceptional late flow and treat with Apigard before you go away.

I have bees on HB and its all for them it’s a great help for them and a bit later Ivey they both help to give good winter stores.

 

[VEG]

Never had a problem yet. Most of the members in my area treat in October as before this there is still a big flow on with the balsom.

 

[Swarm]

Never had a problem yet. Most of the members in my area treat in October as before this there is still a big flow on with the balsom.

Did you start to worry last year though? The temp took a sudden dip which had me worried for a while but all worked out fine.

 

[peteinwilts]

what temperature does a queen start slowing down laying?

if given 'too early', as apiguard often switches off the queen laying (??, more experienced people might confirm\deny), won't this reduce the winter population of bees?

I am a first week in September apiguard man myself, immediately followed by heavy feeding in the first week of October.

Does anyone Apiguard and feed at the same time?

 

[peteinwilts]

Does anyone Apiguard and feed at the same time?

just read this is a bad thing to do as the bees will ignore the apiguard.

if this is the case, we should not apply whilst there is a flow on!!?!?

 

[MandF]

I think that may be my association of Ealing, and knowing the apiary that they refer to its probably not to early as it will hit the mites early and give the bees good time to raise young winter bees, but then all our situations are different I will be starting mine this next weekend.

Will the temperature be ok in mid late October?? that’s a risk in my opinion.

Also at that time year your queen if not already will be reducing the brood nest by quite a good size and all the mites in the hive will be concentrating into a smaller brood nest just at the time when you want that brood to be healthy with your winter bees to take you through to spring the following year.

My advice is to remove your honey unless you are experiencing an exceptional late flow and treat with Apigard before you go away.

I have bees on HB and its all for them it’s a great help for them and a bit later Ivey they both help to give good winter stores.

Yes it was Ealing.

We have an extraction booked for this thurs but one of our hives is still going strong and Im hoping for maybe another super, especially as I know it will have HB nectar and I'd like to try it, so by compromising with late August start for apiguard I give them a bit longer to start capping that honey.

One other question I have - I know apiguard taints honey, so what do you do with your partially filled frames? Do you take them off, treat, then put them back on above the crown board (bruised) to take down afterwards? Both hives will have 2 supers on after this batch is extracted - when they have cleaned up the wets I will take them off to store..

 

[user 3204]

I try and get feeding out of the way by mid October that means all of Sept for Apiguard. Loads of HB around here - but it is early this year, as for a lot of plants, so go with the flow!

 

[Sunjunkie]

Apiguard homework!

Hmm good question, thank you for asking it. I was pondering the exact same thing, here's where I got to:

For me it's about what the thymol does, (how it works) and what we are trying to achieve by using it i.e. zero/minimal mite count & ultimately healthy virus free strong winter brood, that overwinters well & builds quickly in the spring.

The instructions tell us that the Apiguard works by disrupting the cellular structure of the mites, causing them to die (yippee) & should be used for a period of 4 - 6 weeks at temperatures over 15c. The aim is for the winter cluster brood to emerge in good numbers, minus the mites and of course, fighting fit!

From what I read, Thymol vapour can disrupt the Queens laying & she could go off lay for up to 3 weeks! I also need to feed my girls & feeding duing treatment, I understand can reduce the efficacy.

All things considered, I'll be applying my Apiguard this week. Should have started last week..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Never had a problem yet. Most of the members in my area treat in October as before this there is still a big flow on with the balsom.

Our association apiary treatment was yesterday 16th August and the members bulk purchase orders delivered at the same time. (£17 per box of ten Apiguard) Having said that I ran a week behind them last year with complete success. I shall do so again this year as I have supers almost full and another week should see them complete.
If there is a significant temperature dip the hive cozies will go on and the box inner temperature will remain steady.
This morning there is a strong wind blowing but I have a stream of bees staggering into all hives with bulging pollen sacs stuffed with pale grey pollen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

if its activity inside the hive would you leave it a bit later in in a polyhive then?

I think the bee activity has to include foragers going out and returning as well as movement within the hive