When to apply Oxalic acid

[MikeT]

I have never experienced beekeeping with varroa until this year. I am wondering when I should treat with Oxalic acid. I would imagine the queen is still laying with the mild weather. Although the bees are clustering they do not seem to be very tight. Are we going to get a brood free period if so when.
My understanding is the queen stops laying when the weather turns cold and 3 wks later there is no brood. Maybe we will get Americ's weather!!

 

[REDWOOD]

Between Christmas and the new year there will be the least amount of brood

 

[MuswellMetro]

LASI university of Sussex gave our BKA a lecture on oxalic and are recommending that treatment should be carried out mid December to the 1st January (at the latest) as eggs start to be layed in Janaury

if brood is in the hive at this time of year then they said brood can have up to six gravid females per pupa

 

[jonnybeegood]

Do people treat with oxalic in dec/jan , then still treat with Apiguard or similar in spring?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do people treat with oxalic in dec/jan , then still treat with Apiguard or similar in spring?

Not in spring (unless there's a serious problem - Apiguard in the autumn usually

 

[itma]

The thing is to treat whenever necessary, (using a method appropriate to the time of year) based on the level of infestation.
Not based on the calendar.

If there's to be any exception to that, I'd make it around Christmas …



Exact timing isn't possible, unless you adopt LASI's suggestion of brood culling.
Most folk seem to pick between Christmas and New Year. There are those who aim more for the Winter Solstice (shortest day, before Christmas) - though St Ambrose's Day has its devotee.
Jeffree's 1950's research would suggest that October should be prime time for broodlessness, but that is too early for general plausibility.
If there is brood, you'll miss some mites, and you'll have a problem earlier than you … might!



Suggest you download "Managing Varroa" from Beebase for an overview of varroa and the means of its control.
See http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21261

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

if brood is in the hive at this time of year then they said brood can have up to six gravid females per pupa

MM: for the intellectually challenged among us. Whaaa??

 

[Davelin]

gravid - with eggs

 

[itma]

…
if brood is in the hive at this time of year then they said brood can have up to six gravid females per pupa

MM: for the intellectually challenged among us. Whaaa??

= "If there is bee brood in the hive now, then there could be as many as six egg-laying varroa in each bee-brood cell. "
Which doesn't bode well for those new bees life chances.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

= "If there is bee brood in the hive now, then there could be as many as six egg-laying varroa in each bee-brood cell. "

Which doesn't bode well for those new bees life chances.

Oh gravid VARROA. I was thinking of bees (LW?). Said I was challenged. Thanks. Yes; waste of time.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Another question re timing; If you have a PIR cosy on the hive and the bees don't cluster?
Any point in taking it off for a couple of days ?