Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: scrapiron on July 14, 2011, 11:03:30 am
-
I bought my first hive 3 months ago, love it so much I bought another 3 days ago. I have sat in a chair beside my first hive for hours watching, never saw any Varroa. This new colony is full of them :oops: I see several every time I look at them. Question is: The hives are 5 feet apart, should I move the infected hive to the other side of my property (1 acre) until they get a treatment? And what treatment should I use? I was leaning toward the quick strips.
All the research I have done tells me the first hive probably has Varroa, I just havent seen them. But you cant look at this new hive without seeing them! So I am kinda clueless about what to do.
-
you might want to try to get a better idea of what the mite count is. there are several methods and you can either search here or google. after that, if you choose to treat, i'd go with one of the Thymol products. here is some info on use so that you can see if it fits your needs. you can look the product up separately for more info.
http://www.dadant.com/Apiguard-FAQs.htm (http://www.dadant.com/Apiguard-FAQs.htm)
-
If you are seeing mites on the bees the colony will have a huge population of them. No need to move the colony but treat as soon as you can. I would treat both colonies at the same time since both will have mite populations. You can do mite counts before and after to verify that you get a good kill. The formic acid or thymol products are your best choice. The only problem may be what your temperature is in your area as both products are temperature sensitive.
-
Agreed with KathyP - get a mite count on BOTH colonies first by either 72-hour drop onto a sticky board or a sugar/ether roll. The sticky board drop is probably easiest for a new beek.
Then, you will know how many mites you have and can treat one or both colonies with the product/methods of your choice. Just don't go for the Apistan or CheckMite...many many areas now have strong resistance in the mites to these products, so they won't do much good.
Then, after you treat, remember to do another mite count on both colonies (even if you only treat one). Get in the habit of keeping count of your mites all the time, not just when you see a problem. This will give you the information you need to track the mite population and know when it's just a pest and when it's really a problem.
-
Sounds like a plan. I am going with the IPM bottom boards. Thanks for the help.
-
.
If you see mites on bees with naked eyes, you need not mite counting. They are surely too much and they douple themselves in one month. 1000 - 2000 - 4000
Put thymol quickly into the worse hive. It spreads mites to its surrounding too.
If you move the hive, bees return to the old place and bees with mites fly into better hive.
You duty is to get freen from mites before winter. Give to boath hives 3 weeks thymol cure at same time.
Mites move to next door hive by drifting and on drones.
-
.
You may do a harsh trick to the hives.
Take all brood frames from boath hives and move them to a third hive.
Next 3 days the rest bees will return to the old site.
Now you have free mites on bees. You may give them one week thymol cure and you get 100% mite mortality.
To the brood part you give 3 weeks thymol cure and you catch all mites from them. After cure put a new laying queen into the hive.
This is an advantace that the hives will make healty brood for autumn and winter and thymol does not disturb laying so much as it doo in 3 weeks cure.
-
To the brood part you give 3 weeks thymol cure and you catch all mites from them. After cure put a new laying queen into the hive.
I would not do this it is to late in the season (2st week in August) to a split in Athol,Massachusetts 01331 USA
In Greenville County, South Carolina USA I do not know. But you can try it.
Just my 0.02
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
-
To the brood part you give 3 weeks thymol cure and you catch all mites from them. After cure put a new laying queen into the hive.
I would not do this it is to late in the season
How it is possible? My queen are just laying winter bees.
I can see on same map Florida and South Carolina side by side.
Jim. you offer the risk that after a month mite load is double and they will even kill the hive. winterees may be wingless bee poriage.
If the load is now bad, you must get ridd of them quickly a nd not rear violated bees..
-
Hey JIM 134,
My name is Jerry and I am a first year beek. I also live in Athol up by the golf course I have two hives and would like to trade methods and thoughts experiences with you being from the same area!!!!!!!!!
-
buzzjerry...........
You can PM me
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
-
.
I have had mites 28 years. It is a very dangerous animal even to experincedåbeekeeper. Every now and then it surprises just you think that "no problems".
I really love to give advices when a new one-hive owner have is own opponent opinion about the case. I cannot sleep next night. So happy I am.