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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #12990  by AdamD
 02 Aug 2022, 12:01
This year I delayed the start of thymol varroa treatment for nucs as we were expecting very high temperatures however I like to get them treated over August so they are (nearly) varroa free in September when the winter bees are being produced so these bees should have a low level of the viruses vectored by varroa.
For thymol treatments, I used to buy Apiguard by the bucket rather than in single pouches as it was cheaper and now tend to use Apilife Var instead of Apiguard as I don't have to use an eke with the thin 'biscuits' of Apilife Var. (Although some of my crown-boards have a deeper rim on one side to give more space if I flip the crown-boards over).

With an insulated hive, irrespective of the outside temperature, the inside temperature of it - especially if any thymol is near the brood - will be quite high in any case so I wonder how poor thymol is when it's getting cooler in the autumn?
 #12993  by Alfred
 03 Aug 2022, 18:13
I use Oa vape just because of its certainty.
I've it is good for +3c
Below that it recrystalises instantly and drops through the floor
I've done some low temp doses from a perspex topped eke and got away with it.
 #12995  by NigelP
 03 Aug 2022, 18:54
Alfred wrote:
03 Aug 2022, 18:13
I use Oa vape just because of its certainty.
It definitely does the job.....but beware an occasional hive continues to drop enormous numbers of mites, even after three or four treatments. In my early years of vaping I ended up giving some 10 vapes before numbers where satisfactory.
Then I changed to adding apivar strips in the high drop hives after vaping.....Now I just bite the financial bullet and give everything Apivar strips; usually Mid September in our area.
 #13009  by NigelP
 06 Aug 2022, 05:31
MickBBKA wrote:
05 Aug 2022, 21:12
Do you have any supplier you can recommend Nigel ? I am not convinced OA vape works so well once colonies are past 2 boxes.
Thornes or Simon the beekeeper seem the cheapest at £31 for 10 strips (5 hives).
 #13013  by AdamD
 08 Aug 2022, 09:05
I have some Apilife Var strips which say to put some in weekly for 4 weeks. Do I recollect that some years ago, the instruction used to be to put in one packet one week and then follow up with a second, 2 weeks later? (So only two trips to the beehive rather than 4?).
 #13015  by Alfred
 08 Aug 2022, 16:59
I've got some combining to do so treatment will wait.
Spent yesterday extracting and today scraping and mopping up the aftermath.

Image

Who needs Manley frames???

Doubled last year's yeild :D

If I can shift it all that's ALL the equipment from the Qxs to the labels on the jars paid for.

Thanks for the fruit press Nigel-theres a small bonus bucket I wasn't expecting.
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