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Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 103 Location: USA, Olympia, Washington
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:26 am Post subject: Treating mites in the winter
This is a first for me, need some help here.
I recently"inherited" an old lang hive of bees, slid a screen floor under it when I got it and discovered that it looks bad with varroa. What's the best way to treat them in the winter. Do I just go ahead and open them and treat, nothing to lose type of thing?
The weather is partly rainy/cloudy, 30's degree at night, maybe up to low 50's degree in the day. Some of my regular hives have a little activity outside the hive during the warmer times, but for the most part they are clustered. During the warm season, I normally treat with powdered sugar, essential oils, drone frame, and screen floor. I am debating whether to chance it and wait until early spring and treat then. I hate to risk losing even a "sad" hive without trying to save it. Any ideas for these girls?
Thanks,
Ernie
Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 309 Location: UK, devon
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 11:54 am Post subject:
Check for the product "Hive Clean" of Beevital a mixture oils and acids. I havn't used it myself but it could be an option for me if I would have Top bars with a beespace in between. _________________ Nic, born in the Netherlands, living in the UK, Devon, my written skils are disabled by my dislexia.
WHO DOESN'T KNOW HISTORY WILL REPEAT IT.
I hate to risk losing even a "sad" hive without trying to save it. Any ideas for these girls?
I know it's tough and makes you feel bad, but sometimes we have to accept, as natural beekeepers, that some hives just don't make it. Maybe this is one. Presumably it has not been treated and the bees have not coped with the mites, so that is telling you something. _________________ Gareth
'Humanity is like a blind man who does not know where he is heading. He gropes around with the cane of scientific knowledge ....... Foolishness comes out looking smart'. Masanobu Fukuoka
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:37 pm Post subject: hive clean
Hello Ernie,
I've used Hive Clean very recently - because my bees went from low varroa counts over the summer to horrendously high ones at the start of September. It contains: Water / Saccharose / Citric acid / Oxalic acid / Propolis extract / Essential oils. It professes to be non-toxic - not killing varroa instantly but irritating them so they fall off the bees. It also encourages grooming amongst the bees.
It is recommended for organic use (even during honey flows) and I have found it phenomenally successful, even under less than optimal weather conditions (high winds and gallons of rain).
There is 3-week intensive treatment programme for heavy infestation as well as a recommendation to dribble some into the hive over the winter if/when weather conditions allow (lowest temperature -5 degrees C, but optimally +5 and more).
My bees showed mixed reactions - some in one hive rushed to the entrance and blocked it up with their bodies, in the other two bees came up to the top of the bars with what looked like curiosity (anthropomorphism?) - but little to no aggression - maybe the very small sweet content helped. The reaction appeared to be one of mild confusion.
Because I am changing my hives over from no-gap bars to gapped bars I found that application through a long hypodermic needle caused least disturbance as the weather became colder - but you won't have that problem with a Lang.
With the first few applications the varroa fall was horrendously enormous (much too large to say) but the subsequent fall in all 3 hives has steadily diminished and now reads: 0, 4 & 7. I shall watch them like a hawk over the winter and apply more Hive Clean if the mite fall numbers rise.
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 103 Location: USA, Olympia, Washington
Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 9:34 pm Post subject: Update
Thanks Vee and Nic,
I checked out that HiveClean, I may have found one more method in my arsenal against these mites.
Gareth, I know what you are saying, I really do. I just think that man had something to do with the condition of this hive and I hate to just ignore it now. My concern is between "helping" and making it worse.
Update!
Today is sunny and over 50 degree F and the girls are flying, here in the Pacific Northwest, Washington state, USA. I put a boardman feeder with a pint of honey and essential oils in the entrance. They are enjoying the offering. My plan is to monitor the sticky board for a few days to see if the drop slows down. I hoping the screen floor and some essential oil gets me into the spring with them. I just think opening the hive in the winter is too much stress on them.
Thanks for every's one help, I do appreciate the responses.
Ernie
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 103 Location: USA, Olympia, Washington
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:20 am Post subject:
Hi David,
Thanks, this is a new method to me. You have my curiosity up now. How long have you been doing this? Do you put the oil on the board in the summer or winter? How do your bees react when you put it in? I am always interested in different methods of doing the same thing.
Thanks,
Ernie
Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Ireland, West Cork
Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:11 am Post subject:
Hi Ernie,
I have been at it since spring 2008 and I have been putting it on the bord every fortnight or so I some times scipt a month, so I haven't been putting it on contiusly. The bees have never behaved in any way unusual, no falling of bees even the sound of the hive didn't go up as
it has before when I used apiguard. It's probably more effective in the summer but it does seam to evaporate when it's just the oil.
what do you think,
best wishes David
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 103 Location: USA, Olympia, Washington
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 1:28 am Post subject:
Hi David,
I have been researching the essential oils treatment and what I have found is that the key ingredient in the commerical treatment is menthol and menthol is a major ingredient in most essential oils.
Well, of course, I researched Olbas oil and it has essential oils in it. I think you are on to something here. Where did you learn about this Olbas oil? If you want you can email me at my regular email address
Eschmidt158@aol.com
Joined: 11 Nov 2009 Posts: 20 Location: Ireland, West Cork
Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:16 am Post subject:
Hi Ernie,
When I first started with treating bees I came across a site saying that wintergreen oil used to be used inside the hive to treat trachea mites I also read somewere that the fumes can also cause mite fall and help with getting rid of varroa mites (not proven). So I tryed to get the wintergreen oil but the only thing that had it inside was the olbas oil. So then thats how I started useing it.
It's mostly eucalyptus and mint oil though as you sayed it has plenty of menthol in it. Insadently they stoped putting in the winter green oil for some reason.
Also check out this page,it's quite good.
Best wishes David _________________ This earth is out of balance, when will we ever wake up. Human greed is going to very soon cause the last straw that broke the camel's back. Trouble is do we wanna wake up?
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:21 am Post subject: interesting
Hello David,
There's a lot of information (both here and elsewhere) about essential oils - pros and cons.
But I find your application of Olbas Oil on the bottom board very interesting - presumably it's below the mesh floor, so the bees have no direct contact with it.
Currently I have patties inside the hives resting on top of the mesh containing: grease, granulated sugar, and a mix of 2 oils -Tea Tree and Patchouli - according to a paper written by people at West Virginia University. Wintergreen was the 3rd oil they considered for a final choice of 2, but there were enough views on this forum to make me stay my hand with it.
Nevertheless, for comparison next year, I shall certainly consider putting Olbas Oil on the retractable board under the mesh of one of my hives - if they get through this one... Thank you for your input!
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