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Author Topic: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?  (Read 4488 times)

Offline Hethen57

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Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« on: October 26, 2009, 05:54:51 pm »
My first year hives seem very strong, but my screened bottom board trays indicate that they have Varroa.  I have vaporized with several rounds of Oxalic to try to knock them back and noticed significant drop.  I was just wondering how the remaining Varroa survive the winter if your queen quits laying?...do they just winter on the bees, or do they leave dormant eggs in the cells, or ? Just curious.
-Mike
-Mike

Offline Bee-Bop

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2009, 07:18:35 pm »
I believe I read, someone correct me if I'm wrong, that the mites winter on the bees,the cluster keeps them warm. This is hard on the bees and affects there surrival rate !

Probably a lot more to it than that tho.

Remember to take all info. on Inter-net boards with a grain or two of salt.

Oh, I'm in the process of makeing a torch heat vaporizer for next year.

Good Luck
Bee-Bop
" If Your not part of the genetic solution of breeding mite-free bees, then You're part of the problem "

Offline Hethen57

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2009, 07:29:03 pm »
My homemade vaporizers worked great.  I made 2, so one could be cooling, while I treated another hive.  They are just half inch copper pipe (like the ones posted on the internet), administered through a hole in the back of my SBB or Slat Rack (which I keep corked when not treating).  They seem to be worst on my strongest hive, but hopefully I can knock them back.  I did not treat 2 of my hives that were mid-summer splits, seem strong and are full of honey, so I will be curious if there will be any correlation to which ones survive (if any :?).
-Mike

Offline hardwood

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2009, 08:01:49 pm »
I'd love to see pics of ya'lls vaporizers if you have them! I've just made one only I used 3/6" tube (flattened a little) for the distributor end so that I could just stick it in the entrance. I haven't tried it yet to test how hot/how long to torch it.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #4 on: October 26, 2009, 08:31:26 pm »
Varroa reproduce in capped brood, so the answer to your question is no.  Not only do they reproduce only in capped  brood but they mate before emerging - with their brother.  So if a female fails to produce both male and female offspring then they will emerge unmated and unable to reproduce.   

Check out this video from the USDA - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6024598650924341952&hl=en&emb=1#docid=-7304562435786960616
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

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Offline Hethen57

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2009, 08:41:51 pm »
I don't have a picture handy, but it's not that complicated...1/2 copper cap, then 3-4" of copper pipe, a 45 degree angle, then another 2-3" length of pipe.  The joints are sealed with teflon tape and held together with set screws.  I use (2) 1/2" copper pipe caps full of crystals for a double deep and they seem to be gone after heating for about 60-90 seconds with a propane torch.  You will see the smoke vapors come out any cracks and you know it has vaporized.  Be very careful of those vapors, they are very toxic to humans.  I also flattend the end of one of mine to fit into the reduced entrance in the front..that works pretty well too.  I cover the end of the pipe with some metal wire screen to keep bees from climbing down the tube while I am vaporizing.  
-Mike

BTW - I just watched that video today...very fascinating, but it didn't answer my question of how they over winter on the bees without being able to reproduce in the brood.
-Mike

Offline David LaFerney

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #6 on: October 26, 2009, 08:50:55 pm »
I made mine out of 1/2 threaded black iron pipe.  A 6" nipple, a street ell and a cap.  I just screwed mine together lightly and didn't use any thread sealer because I'm affraid that the fumes from burning teflon might be worse for the bees than the OA.  Whatever you use you should consider heating it up good and hot before you use it to burn off any residue.
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Samuel Clemens

Putting the "ape" in apiary since 2009.

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2009, 09:57:08 am »
My first year hives seem very strong, but my screened bottom board trays indicate that they have Varroa.  I have vaporized with several rounds of Oxalic to try to knock them back and noticed significant drop.  I was just wondering how the remaining Varroa survive the winter if your queen quits laying?...do they just winter on the bees, or do they leave dormant eggs in the cells, or ? Just curious.
-Mike

They only can reproduce on brood, so no, they don't.  They do over winter on the bees, and this is hard on the bees.  So next spring, whatever mites are left will begin anew next spring when brood rearing starts.

I'd be careful doing more than one or two OA treatments on the bees, that is hard on the bees too.

Rick
Rick

Offline Bee-Bop

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2009, 12:11:03 pm »
Here is a picture of my homemade vaporizer;

1/2 in copper pipe & fittings

Note if you use copper DO NOT SOLDER with regular plumbing solder,   braze or silver solder !

I still need to shorten length, the brass handle is so I can hand tighten real good.

AND a REMINDER - Oxalic Acid Vapor is not to be played with !



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Offline hardwood

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2009, 12:44:26 pm »
Thanks Bee-Bop. That's very similar to the one I made...guess it's time to test it. I plan on only doing 1 treatment per year (unless the mites really get out of control). Here in FL we never get a true break in brood so I'm waiting until we have colder days (most likely Feb.) to see when they at least slow down a bit. It might take two treatments 7-10 days apart.

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Offline Hethen57

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2009, 02:38:12 pm »
Bee-Bop...I guess I'll just forget about posting a picture of my little pieces of copper pipe fit together with set screws...your garage tinkering is top notch... :-D

I think I will quit with 2 vapor treatments and see how they do.  I am also planning on doing an Oxalic dribble on these same hives in December.  As with this treatment, I will not treat my mid-summer splits and see if there is a correlation as to which ones survive.  They all appear strong and packed to the gills with honey right now.
-Mike

Offline Bee-Bop

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Re: Do Mites Reproduce during Winter Brood Dearth?
« Reply #11 on: October 27, 2009, 04:30:56 pm »
Hethen57
Aha, your up on me, never thought about bees crawling down the pipe !

Back to the drawing board !!  [ actually scrap paper & broken carpenters pencil ]

Bee-Bop
" If Your not part of the genetic solution of breeding mite-free bees, then You're part of the problem "