Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: latebee on August 25, 2004, 01:06:01 am

Title: miticide
Post by: latebee on August 25, 2004, 01:06:01 am

Just curious?
                      What do most of you use for verroa mites, and how often do you alternate your choice of them. I prefer chemicals but perhaps there are some good organic alternatives I am not aware of. :?:

Title: Re: miticide
Post by: Finman on August 25, 2004, 01:30:22 am

Quote from: latebee

I prefer chemicals but perhaps there are some good organic alternatives I am not aware of. :?:

What you mean with organic?

Organic chemicals "Thymol pillow " is working well.

I have Elgon bees which can identify and eliminate varroa, but I do not like them because they give stings and they are not so good in honey work than Italians. It is easier to give anti varroa chemicals, because it take one minute to hadle the colony.

My bees have now  apistan resistant varroas after 15 yeards handling.

Title: miticide
Post by: Anonymous on August 25, 2004, 10:23:58 am

Here in Southwestern Pennsylvania it has been discovered that some of the mites have developed a resistance to Apistan. Penn State and the local bee inspector are now insisting that everyone use Checkmite for control of varroa mites. It's hoped that by the time that the mites develop a resistance to Checkmite the Apistan will once more be an effective treatment. I've been told that if everyone quits using the Apistan in this area that the mites will lose their resistance to it in 3 to 5 years. We're keeping our fingers crossed that this is true because sooner or later the mites will develop a resistance to the Checkmite also.

Title: miticide
Post by: Robo on August 25, 2004, 02:07:30 pm

I decided to use oxalic acid this year after not having consistent results with FGMO.  Seems it has worked well in Europe for many years.

Title: miticide
Post by: Finman on August 25, 2004, 02:36:28 pm

Quote from: Robo

I decided to use oxalic acid this year after not having consistent results with FGMO.  Seems it has worked well in Europe for many years.

In Finland we use oxalic acid, formic acid and thymol. All work well.

Somethimes acid handling fails. My friend handled his hives this spring and about half of larvas  died. Colonies suffered a lot of this and they developed very slowly.

In Finland mites arrived from Russia 25 years ago. I found mites in my  hive first 1982.

Title: miticide
Post by: Robo on August 25, 2004, 02:45:54 pm

So far so good here.

I had a few colonies that had fairly heavy mites in the spring.  I gave them each a couple of foggings and it pretty much wiped then all out.  I went up until a couple of weeks ago without seeing a single mite.  Now just seeing a couple now and then.

Title: miticide
Post by: TwT on August 26, 2004, 12:41:19 am

the best thing i found so far is russian bee's. good strong hives

Title: miticide
Post by: Finman on August 26, 2004, 03:42:39 am

Quote from: TwT

the best thing i found so far is russian bee's. good strong hives

What are russian bees? Do they have another name?

Title: miticide
Post by: TwT on August 28, 2004, 06:32:21 pm

this site will explaine the russian bees

http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/06/06202001/bees_44040.asp