Inspection Tray 2 weeks in...

[JazzJPH]

... Well, almost. It's been 12 days since my brand new hive became inhabited. So today since I'm not allowed to look in I thought I would have a look at the inspection tray and maybe see if I spot any varroa.

I did. Although I suspect, despite my best efforts, I missed a few. I counted 30 mites on a messy board (image below). There were some body parts and severed heads of bees, plenty of legs etc. A few of the mites were still alive and kicking.

Questions:
1. Is 30+ mites in 12 days alarming for a 6 frame nuc expanding to 11 frame hive?
2. Depending on answer to 1, what do I do?
3. Am I good to brush the board off into the bin or is there a way to dispose?

 

[Millet]

... Well, almost. It's been 12 days since my brand new hive became inhabited. So today since I'm not allowed to look in I thought I would have a look at the inspection tray and maybe see if I spot any varroa.

I did. Although I suspect, despite my best efforts, I missed a few. I counted 30 mites on a messy board (image below). There were some body parts and severed heads of bees, plenty of legs etc. A few of the mites were still alive and kicking.

Questions:
1. Is 30+ mites in 12 days alarming for a 6 frame nuc expanding to 11 frame hive?
2. Depending on answer to 1, what do I do?
3. Am I good to brush the board off into the bin or is there a way to dispose?

30 + varroa mite drop is a lot more than i would be comfortable with..just imagine how many are in sealed cells.. i would treat ASAP with oxcalic acid vaped rather in my heated pan or with my gas vape tool..i would do this 4 times at five day intervals..as for cleaning the inspection board i just scrape it of beside the hive and back in again.

 

[JazzJPH]

Cheers Steve. Would apivar be as good an option? It sounds safer (for my health)

 

[Millet]

Cheers Steve. Would apivar be as good an option? It sounds safer (for my health)

I have never used it Jazz..Api Life Var is the only other stuff i have used and i only used it once as the amount of dead brood it caused sickened me..oxalic acid is safe to use with the correct equipment and the only thing it kills is varroa..Amitraz / Apitraz is the only other brand i would use if i felt the need.

 

[Ian123]

If your expecting a super of honey then any treatment other than a vape is liable to f it up this time of year.

 

[JazzJPH]

Ah OK. So if vape is the way to go - what's the most cost effective way of doing a vape treatment? Anyone got any tips for equipment/suppliers?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ah OK. So if vape is the way to go - what's the most cost effective way of doing a vape treatment? Anyone got any tips for equipment/suppliers?

The cheapest one is the Thornes one - good enough for hobbyist use.

But let's look at the facts before going off at half cock.
To start with, mite drop calculations are worked out by counting the dead mites on the board
Even disregarding that and going for a 30 mite count over 12 days, that gives you an average daily dead mite count of 2.5 - an estimate of 100 adult mites in the colony, so they shouldn't reach the critical (need to treat) level for another couple of months.
Bear in mind as well that counting mites off the drop tray is notoriously unrelaiable, you are better off researching other methods of mite counting such as sugar rolling (not dusting) or alcohol wash.
Regardless of what people rave on about vaping with supers on you should avoid it, althouth the odds of being found out are pretty slim as noone can decide what level of OA in the hive indicates an amount substantially more than 'natural'.

 

[john t]

Ah OK. So if vape is the way to go - what's the most cost effective way of doing a vape treatment? Anyone got any tips for equipment/suppliers?

i treated a swarm this afternoon it was raining slightly it took about a minute from start to finish,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqRyO4PQeto&t=9s

hope this helps

john t

 

[Millet]

i treated a swarm this afternoon it was raining slightly it took about a minute from start to finish,


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqRyO4PQeto&t=9s

hope this helps

john t

Excellent John t.. without a shadow of doubt this/that is the best way to treat varroa.. mine have been regularly treated with the Vap when the need arises and to date the varroa load is zero.

 

[JazzJPH]

The cheapest one is the Thornes one - good enough for hobbyist use.

But let's look at the facts before going off at half cock.
To start with, mite drop calculations are worked out by counting the dead mites on the board
Even disregarding that and going for a 30 mite count over 12 days, that gives you an average daily dead mite count of 2.5 - an estimate of 100 adult mites in the colony, so they shouldn't reach the critical (need to treat) level for another couple of months.
Bear in mind as well that counting mites off the drop tray is notoriously unrelaiable, you are better off researching other methods of mite counting such as sugar rolling (not dusting) or alcohol wash.
Regardless of what people rave on about vaping with supers on you should avoid it, althouth the odds of being found out are pretty slim as noone can decide what level of OA in the hive indicates an amount substantially more than 'natural'.

Will sugar roll first. Then I'll know where I stand.

I read another thread about OA being illegal... Will look into it further.

 

[Millet]

Ah OK. So if vape is the way to go - what's the most cost effective way of doing a vape treatment? Anyone got any tips for equipment/suppliers?

Research and research again..that is the only way i found my preferred method that suits me.

 

[john t]

Excellent John t.. without a shadow of doubt this/that is the best way to treat varroa.. mine have been regularly treated with the Vap when the need arises and to date the varroa load is zero.

Hi Steve, good to know you have the varroa under control using the Gas-vap


it has been so busy over the last few months, beetradex was a fantastic day, we sold out by lunch time,and it was great to chat to a few of the forum members