MAQS experience

[Bryanthebee]

Hi folks
Just thought i would give a run down how my MAQS treatment went on just the one hive i have.

The hive in question was two brood and two supers in size, with varroa open mesh floor, we placed the strips in between both brood and left for a week there was no bailing out of the hive, but they did buzz like hell on first placing stips in.

Went back a week later bottom brood box was well layed up, the top had sealed brood no eggs with 8 superceding cells. did not exspect this. but all in all a good strong hive.

The superceding may be down to the queen going off laying and i wonder if the Maqs hamperd queen substance above the strips inducing a panic of a queen less hive.

 

[Barbarian]

Some further info

I have just taken the strips off my hives.
I wouldn't recommend treating at this time of year unless you have to. Lifting all those heavy supers off and on the hives is no joke ---- my poor back.
For ventilation purposes, I used an OMF (without slide), a full entrance and an empty super between the brood box and excluder.
I will go back into the brood in a week or so to check for eggs.

I found the best way to open the packs was to use a Stanley knife and a 2 inch wide strip of wood. For the first cut the wood goes under the pack. For the second cut the wood goes in the pack under the line on the plastic sleeve.

No doubt someone has found a better way.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I found the best way to open the packs was to use a Stanley knife and a 2 inch wide strip of wood. For the first cut the wood goes under the pack. For the second cut the wood goes in the pack under the line on the plastic sleeve.

No doubt someone has found a better way.

Yes .....scissors worked for me

 

[thebhoy]

and scissors for me

KISS

 

[oliver90owner]

Efficacy is what it is all about. Leaving OMFs is likely to compromise that. Your choice but not a particularly helpful thread for the thinking beekeeper.

RAB

 

[itma]

Efficacy is what it is all about. Leaving OMFs is likely to compromise that. ...

Not necessarily ALL about!
I'm prepared to settle for a reasonable efficacy this time while I explore the drama (or not) of the side effects (including to the hive metalwork).
Nothing special maybe if one were used to Nassenheider formic evaporators. But I'n not!

 

[crazy_bull]

I was surprised how much grass scorch these strips cause, a good 10-12inches of deal grass in front of each hive. Potent gear, didn't notice any significant amounts of dead bees though so hopefully a good sign.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

No grass scorch here on three hives I treated

 

[Swarm]

Maybe an idea to merge this thread with the other one about MAQS?

 

[enrico]

I'm the dck brain that took the paper wrappers off too! I put it on four hives, my biggest and best is still giving out dead bees at the end of three days, the other three had a few dead ones, it seems to me the variations per hive are quite dramatic. My biggest deaths seem to be coming from the hive with the most bees which I suppose is to be expected. I suppose I have seen a couple of hundred dead bees which in the scale of things isn't too bad! Especially as I applied the stuff incorrectly in the first place!
E