Cleanout after Oxalic

This one caught on the wing being cleaned out from hive after Oxalic treatment, note the transparrent head, probably due to Varroa eating the Pupae.

More photos like this in the ALBUM section, main menu.
Bob.

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That drone pupa is over 3 weeks old. Why it has died and pulled out?
Perhaps mites killed it or it was near to die and bees uncapped the cell.
Bee eate pupae and larvae too.

A drone pupa on floor in winter is allways alarm to me. Is the queen a drone layer?

Finman said:

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That drone pupa is over 3 weeks old. Why it has died and pulled out?
Perhaps mites killed it or it was near to die and bees uncapped the cell.
Bee eate pupae and larvae too.

A drone pupa on floor in winter is allways alarm to me. Is the queen a drone layer?

Click to expand...

Looks like a deformed worker pupae to me

Did You both look at my Other photos in ALBUMS section?
It is a worker. and yesterday it was 5 days after oxalic treatment.

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Yes, it has a tonque. I looked its round abdomen.

Whoops. Hope there were not too many pupae in there when the oxalic was done - the efficacy might be fairly low (if the colony loading was low)?

oliver90owner said:

Whoops. Hope there were not too many pupae in there when the oxalic was done - the efficacy might be fairly low (if the colony loading was low)?

Click to expand...

I don't think there is ever a time when there are NO eggs laid in this part of the UK.

Here are my results.

Varroa count so far after Oxalic treatment on 1 hive only at my home apiary. On the 3rd of January 2013.

4th January Day 1. 40
5th January Day 2. 140
6th January Day 3. 66
7th January Day 4. 51
8th January Day 5. 38
9th January Day 6. 53
10th January Day 7. 11
11th January Day 8. 46
Sat 12th January Day 9. 21
13th January Day 10. 10 varroa.

I don't think there is ever a time when there are NO eggs laid in this part of the UK.

So you are saying the efficacy is always very poor if the mite oxalic drop is fairly low?

Like, how many would you expect to leave in that hive? 30? 50? With her only laying ten eggs per day and (of those) only one larva being targeted by one mite might leave potentially nigh on 30 new mites covered over in pupae. Sacre bleu! If there were more than one targeted daily!!!.......

Rather puts into perspective the difference between finnish bees (no brood) and 'warmer climes' SE England?

Update on my Varroa Findings.

Varroa count so far after Oxalic treatment on 1 hive only at my home apiary.

4th January Day 1. 40

5th January Day 2. 140

6th January Day 3. 66

7th January Day 4. 51

8th January Day 5. 38

9th January Day 6. 53

10th January Day 7. 11

11th January Day 8. 46

Sat 12th January Day 9. 21

13th January Day 10. 10

14th January Day 11. 23

15th January Day 12. 21

16th January Day 13. 28

17th January Day 14. 18

18th January Day 15. 24

19th January Day 16. 20

20th January Day 17. 9

21st January Day 18. 14

22nd January Day 19. 20

23rd January Day 20. 13

24th January Day 21. 7


This the last day of counting 7 Varroa one of which was alive and running. So the total number 623. Double that for losses, like some left in the comb and stuck on the surface of the OMF floor = 1246 This spread over 7 seams of Bees. How many bees in 7 seam cluster? Guessing now 1300+... I will come back to this later today after I take some measurements.....OK its now 13.12hrs 4hrs later.

I have been looking at Yates 'beekeeping study notes' page 327, Dr Jeffrees determined that a 4.4 inch cluster contained 7,500 bees. But my cluster measures over 7 inches, so maybe there are more than 10,000 bees in my Hive 2. No wonder they can consume 750g of Fondant in around 10 Days.

So in conclusion 1246 Varroa in 10,000 bees is NOT good, so although I did not treat in the Autumn of 2012 they did need to be treated in the winter. Job done.

I am now considering a further treatment this week-end just to see if there is another large kill of Varroa in the next two weeks. to be continued.


Its now 30 January 2013.

My second Varroa Treatment of 2012/2013.

Began Oxalic application on 26th January at 12.30 Hive No 2 at my home in Rainham. It was the first sunny day and the Temperature reached 10c, the snow was beginning to thaw. 45g of Oxalic Crystals in 1l of Sugar Syrup. 7 seams of bees, same as last treatment on 3rd January.




Date Mite Drop

27 Jan 2013. 41

28 Jan 2013 73

29 Jan 2013 56

30 Jan 2013 57

To be continued............

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Seems bad, and if you have much brood....

I would open the hives and take the brood frames off.