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  • Varroa treatment

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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #1556  by nealh
 19 Dec 2018, 16:11
I can't say robbing as an issue with my colonies all very heavy and guards were soon at the door to see off visitors even me ;) , no wasp issues barring the odd one picking up bits off the ground. Though possible they may have visited colonies elsewhere locally.

Mild autumn/early winter although I haven't looked since early Oct there was still good brood up to 5 frames going in to autumn treatment so simply down to plenty of brood and mites proliferating, or maybe my autumn vaping wasn't as efficient as I hoped, should have been though with 4 vapes every 6th day.
Another vape on Saturday and one the following Thursday if counts are still high.
Nuc was 4 frames brood and two solid stores I put on a 6 frame half super for the ivy flow which they filled, with a polystyrene over coat on the exterior.
 #1564  by NigelP
 19 Dec 2018, 21:21
B y robbing I was inferring nearby feral colonies, weak due to non varroa treatment.
 #1572  by nealh
 21 Dec 2018, 22:38
Managed to check the Nuc, #1 & #6 today all still dropping mites, since checking on Wednesday all three had about 80 on the insert . Surprisingly the nuc drop has increased so must be still have quite a bit of brood so all will receive another vape tomorrow, looks like it will be dry.
 #1573  by nealh
 21 Dec 2018, 22:41
NigelP wrote:
19 Dec 2018, 21:21
B y robbing I was inferring nearby feral colonies, weak due to non varroa treatment.
Possibly, I know of at least one chimney colony within 1km and others that have been in residence in a Network rail property for at least 6 years also within 1km.
 #1574  by nealh
 22 Dec 2018, 11:05
Treated again this morning all six still dropping , three not checked since Wednesday showing drops of to having < 250 & one <550.
 #1576  by AdamD
 22 Dec 2018, 15:03
NigelP wrote:
19 Dec 2018, 21:21
B y robbing I was inferring nearby feral colonies, weak due to non varroa treatment.
I had a lovely colony 2 or 3 years ago which did well in summer and really well in autumn. I think that "really well in autumn" should have been a clue. Despite treating them and them being a good sized colony at the end of September, they were dead by Spring with obvious signs of parasitic mite syndrome. I suspect that they found a varroa infested colony to rob late in the season that gave them plenty of honey and plenty of mites and consequently they didn't survive.
 #1577  by Jim Norfolk
 22 Dec 2018, 17:22
I have seen sudden increases in daily mite drop in both October and February which I believe were due to mites being brought in from robbed out colonies. These mite bomb colonies could be feral or managed.

This autumn I have vaped one colony 3 times. First time in mid November dropped 732 over the subsequent week. A second vaping a week later dropped 144 over the subsequent week. Then a week ago I vaped again to see what the status was and have so far got just 10 mites in 5 days. The daily pattern is for the highest drop to be in the first or second day and then the mite count drops to background levels over about a week. The pattern is similar whether vaped or trickled. When are these mites dying and when do they fall?

1. Are they all killed on the first day but take some a few days to fall out of the hive?
2. Is the oxalic acid active for several days and emerging mites are also being killed?
3. Does it take some mites several days to die?

The very small residue of mites left after the third vaping leads me to think it is option number 2.
 #1580  by nealh
 22 Dec 2018, 22:31
With vaping I carried out on Monday I am seeing larger drops after day 2, so must be emerging brood and varroa/bees coming in contact with lingering residue within the hive. I will be monitoring again and decide whether to apply third vape come Thursday.
 #1583  by NigelP
 23 Dec 2018, 16:02
MY two problem hives...one is now fine, dropped less than 6 over 4 days post vape....other is down but still a few 100. Will be getting another vape to get them down as well.

Part of my strategy next season will also include a spring vape a few weeks before the OSR nectar flow.
 #1588  by nealh
 27 Dec 2018, 15:05
Haven't checked colonies for 5 days and looking at mites on board suggest number still averaging 25 -40 per day so vaped again today, only one colony showing <10 over 5 days.
Not murmur from colonies all quiet on the western front, that is until they are vaped then I can hear a nice low hum from within and a few white bees briefly appear at the entrance before heading back in.
With all the mites I'm seeing all must have brood but I loathe to open up just to see, colony weights good from hefting and some pollen noticed going in today so could be hazel (will have to check over the next few days).