apiguard in November?

[Suzi Q]

I put in Apiguard end of August, two trays. One hive had a natural mite drop of about 5 a day, after putting on apiguard the drop went up to 300 then gradually went down to only a few.
Yesterday I checked the natural drop and it has gone back to pre-apiguard levels ie 4-5 a day. Given the unusually mild weather would it be acceptable to put in apiguard again? Or is once a year enough?

 

[bee82]

It's too late for apiguard.

 

[bee82]

Wait till December and oxalic treatment.

 

[Suzi Q]

It's too late for apiguard.

Why, if it is still mild for the next week or so? Probably won't and will follow the standard advice but it was just a thought!

 

[oliver90owner]

Look at apiguard FAQs? Take their advice?

 

[Suzi Q]

Wait till December and oxalic treatment.

Still feeling abit wobbly about doing the oxalic trickle treatment

 

[JamezF]

What are the temperatures like in London at the moment? Here we're at the point where I'd start wondering how effective Apiguard would be anyhow. I know it's supposed to work at temperatures lower than 15C or whatever it is that it says on the box, but if there's no chance of it doing much useful then just doing an oxalic acid treatment in early January would probably make more sense. Icing sugar might still be a viable option?

James

 

[JamezF]

Still feeling abit wobbly about doing the oxalic trickle treatment

It's really nothing to get stressed about, honestly.

Pick as pleasant a day as you can. Fill a syringe with OA solution, remove the roof, pop the crownboard off. For each space between the combs ("seam") with bees in, start at one side of the hive and dribble 5ml (as measured on the syringe) from that side to the other. Replace the crown board and roof. Job done. With practice the hive probably isn't even open for as long as a minute.

Practice on a friend (or in the sink) with the syringe full of water first, so you get the feel of controlling the flow of liquid.

James

 

[For want of a better word]

It's really nothing to get stressed about, honestly.

Pick as pleasant a day as you can. Fill a syringe with OA solution, remove the roof, pop the crownboard off. For each space between the combs ("seam") with bees in, start at one side of the hive and dribble 5ml (as measured on the syringe) from that side to the other. Replace the crown board and roof. Job done. With practice the hive probably isn't even open for as long as a minute.

Practice on a friend (or in the sink) with the syringe full of water first, so you get the feel of controlling the flow of liquid.

James

Some girls do.. Some girls don't.... Some Girls

Don't you just love the ' Stones !

A REAL dilemma this pouring acid on bees... I have still not made my mind up since the only three hives I subjected to trickling last year were the only three I lost!

Vaporize ? Trickle? Do nothing? Api...guard in Spring when temp gets up?

I just could not and would not advise anyone, any way, ..seems to be too many pros and too many cons !
ASK HIVEMAKER !

 

[Suzi Q]

Look at apiguard FAQs? Take their advice?

I've checked through the FAQ and checked VITA's website but couldn't see anything about treating 3 months after first treatment regime.
I kind of think it may be still warm enough in London to put in another tray but not two. Temperatures are going to be above 15c for 4 or 5 days.

 

[The Cumbrian]

A REAL dilemma this pouring acid on bees...

Not having kept bees since the arrival of Varroa can anybody tell me the pH of the Oxalic Acid being used.

I am just a little concerned about all the talk of dribbling acid on to bees.

I don't know about the rest of you but I shake acid all over my chips.

 

[Suzi Q]

It's really nothing to get stressed about, honestly.

Pick as pleasant a day as you can. Fill a syringe with OA solution, remove the roof, pop the crownboard off. For each space between the combs ("seam") with bees in, start at one side of the hive and dribble 5ml (as measured on the syringe) from that side to the other. Replace the crown board and roof. Job done. With practice the hive probably isn't even open for as long as a minute.

Practice on a friend (or in the sink) with the syringe full of water first, so you get the feel of controlling the flow of liquid.

James

Thanks JamezF. Still sitting on the fence, tho'. Would you use oxalic even if you had a low mite drop? Say 1-2 a day?

 

[beebreeder]

Not having kept bees since the arrival of Varroa can anybody tell me the pH of the Oxalic Acid being used.

I am just a little concerned about all the talk of dribbling acid on to bees.

I don't know about the rest of you but I shake acid all over my chips.





But you must be a little bit larger than a honeybee, would you consider a shower in your acid that you put on chips, that is what you do in the coldest time,to your bees just a thought from someone that does not use the stuff.

 

[Suzi Q]

Not having kept bees since the arrival of Varroa can anybody tell me the pH of the Oxalic Acid being used.

I am just a little concerned about all the talk of dribbling acid on to bees.

I don't know about the rest of you but I shake acid all over my chips.





But you must be a little bit larger than a honeybee, would you consider a shower in your acid that you put on chips, that is what you do in the coldest time,to your bees just a thought from someone that does not use the stuff.

That did concern me, since they don't actually eat the stuff but remove it by cleansing themselves, and is that such a good idea when they are supposed to be clustered??

 

[The Cumbrian]

Not having kept bees since the arrival of Varroa can anybody tell me the pH of the Oxalic Acid being used.

I am just a little concerned about all the talk of dribbling acid on to bees.

I don't know about the rest of you but I shake acid all over my chips.





But you must be a little bit larger than a honeybee, would you consider a shower in your acid that you put on chips, that is what you do in the coldest time,to your bees just a thought from someone that does not use the stuff.

As I said I haven't kept bees since the arrival of Varroa but yes I would shower in vinegar or Orange Juice. Coldest time for the bees yes but they are in a hive which they keep reasonably warm. So what I think I am basically saying is Yes I would try it as a treatment and monitor for what I thought were contra-indications, rather than saying "cold acid - no way".

 

[Heather]

I always warm the Oxalic acid slightly (Disposable beaker in a cup of warm water to raise the OA temp) so that I am trickling tepid syrup over them. They don't get chilled.

Think of it as that (tepid syrup) rather than acid as the solution sold is not caustic, and you may feel more comfortable about it. (some will be screaming at me for saying that, I know - but I am with the 'treat' brigade).

I have never lost a colony- or even seen a bee drop after treatment- but have seen a hell of a varroa drop.

Practice with syringe as suggested- then the actual treatment takes 30 seconds.

 

[For want of a better word]

As I said I haven't kept bees since the arrival of Varroa but yes I would shower in vinegar or Orange Juice.

It is not the hydrogen ion concentration that does the damage to the mite, but the structure of the crystal......

I good friend of mine lost his sight when a flask of ethanoic acid solution exploded into his eyes... unfortunately he was not wearing any eye protection and despite immediate medical attention, he is now blinded for life.

So do not shower in vinegar PLEASE !!

Personally I am still not convinced that OA Trickle is the way to go... on the precautionary principle !

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I always warm the Oxalic acid slightly (Disposable beaker in a cup of warm water to raise the OA temp) so that I am trickling tepid syrup over them. They don't get chilled.

That's a good point - I'd kept mine in the fridge last year and it was too cold when I took it out

 

[For want of a better word]

Think of it as that (tepid syrup) rather than acid as the solution sold is not caustic,

No it is NOT CAUSTIC it is ACID !

Now that must be cut and paste from a BBKA publication!

IMO !

 

[For want of a better word]

And one from the Jeremy Clarkson school of beekeepering......................................... any one tried warm URIC ACID ?





[awaiting reply from PH !}

{[with that I will not post any more remarks about trick, treating or trickleing until
next new post about it is posted !!]}