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Offline danno

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apiguard
« on: August 29, 2008, 02:00:55 pm »
I put the first dose of apiguard on my five hives monday.  Since I have noticed that the bee's seemed to have stopped foraging.  They have 10 acres of blooming goldenrod 20 feet away and all they are doing is bearding.  My temps have been in the middle 70s and nighttime temps high 50's to low 60's.  I used the proper dosage stirring it well before measureing the 50grams out. I used 2" spacers above the broad nest. I dont think I missed anything did I?   I also have to say this is some awful smelling very strong stuff

Offline danno

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2008, 09:43:24 am »
No answers to my question in four days.  Well On Friday these hives were all back to business.  I made sicky boards with shelving contact paper and check them after 72hrs.  I was amased.  This stuff killed hundreds of mites per hive.  Some more than others. 

Offline Kimbrell

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2008, 12:48:17 pm »
My hives are also bearding after an application of apiguard 2 days ago.  It's good to hear that things will get back to normal and that the apiguard seems to be working.

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2008, 02:32:45 pm »
Yeah, they don't really like the stuff.  Mine aren't bearding bad, but they are outside more.  Temps are better this year for Apiguard, not so much chewed pupaes this year.  The second application they seem to be more used to and tolerate it better.

Mix the apiguard with goldenrod and the smell is really...uh...interesting!

But it sure does drop a lot of mite!! :)

Rick
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Offline Wax Moth

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2008, 05:21:53 pm »
I can smell the apiguard 10 feet away from the hives.  I narrowed the entrance on one hive on applying the apiguard as I'd started feeding syrup too and was worried about wasps.  On that hive they have chewed through the polyhive to get more air!

Offline DANOPAT

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2008, 02:33:27 pm »
Danno,  I am so new to all of this that I just put together my first NUC yesterday with the help of a local beekeeper.  I have been doing loads of reading in preparation and I noticed you mentioned that the contact paper you used "killed" thousands of mites. How are you treating for the thousand or so mites that may remain on the bees and in the comb that have yet to fall on the contact paper?  As a single hive hobbyist I am looking for cheap but effective fixes.  I have read about the powdered sugar trick....any others besides expensive foggers?  Danopat

Offline Wax Moth

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2008, 07:40:42 pm »
Apiguard is not so expensive - for a small nuc you only need one pack. You don't need a fancy vaporiser.  You need to treat before the weather gets cool. Enjoy your new hobby.

Offline annette

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2008, 12:17:23 am »
Danno,  I am so new to all of this that I just put together my first NUC yesterday with the help of a local beekeeper.  I have been doing loads of reading in preparation and I noticed you mentioned that the contact paper you used "killed" thousands of mites. How are you treating for the thousand or so mites that may remain on the bees and in the comb that have yet to fall on the contact paper?  As a single hive hobbyist I am looking for cheap but effective fixes.  I have read about the powdered sugar trick....any others besides expensive foggers?  Danopat

You can do the powdered sugar dustings to get the mites to fall off of the bees. I do this all the time and have never used anything else. If you want more info about it just ask further.   

Good Luck
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Offline pdmattox

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2008, 11:57:13 am »
The problem with just sugar dusting you are not killing the mites just knocking them off of the bees. It will keep the numbers down but you will still have mites. Combining the sugar dusting with apriguard will give you some results. I have also notice that if you change the dosage to equate with the size of the hive you will not run them out as bad.

Online Michael Bush

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2008, 01:30:57 pm »
>I put the first dose of apiguard on my five hives monday.  Since I have noticed that the bee's seemed to have stopped foraging.  They have 10 acres of blooming goldenrod 20 feet away and all they are doing is bearding.  My temps have been in the middle 70s and nighttime temps high 50's to low 60's.  I used the proper dosage stirring it well before measureing the 50grams out. I used 2" spacers above the broad nest. I dont think I missed anything did I?

That is a normal reaction by the bees to the Apigaurd.  Temperatures can change things dramatically also.

>   I also have to say this is some awful smelling very strong stuff

The bees agree with you.
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2008, 09:38:03 am »
Saturday I had to treat one hive, and I got the apiguard on the tab and put my veil on and went out there.  I noticed that the veil was chafing my neck for some reason.  So I moved it, and my neck was still getting chafed and worse!

Then I remembered that I had gotten a little apiguard on part of my veil :oops:.  Ow...no damage and it was better when I wiped it off but it was sore.

Yeah, it is not the nicest stuff, but I've had much worse reactions from hot peppers and I eat those frequently! (eye contacts + hot peppers  = ow ow ow ow!!!)

Rick
Rick

Offline Kimbrell

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #11 on: September 15, 2008, 02:01:04 am »
My beekeeping friend gave my hives their second dose of apiguard yesterday.  He said the bees on all my hives had chewed up the paper tray and hauled the remaining foil out of the hive!  They must really dislike it.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2008, 07:43:01 am »
My beekeeping friend gave my hives their second dose of apiguard yesterday.  He said the bees on all my hives had chewed up the paper tray and hauled the remaining foil out of the hive!  They must really dislike it.

They hate the stuff, I don't blame them, so do I.  I won't let the stuff near my hives, there's enough contaminates out there the bees get exposed to without my subjecting them to more.  There's other, less stressful, ways of addressing varroa mites than killing them and your bees (or at least making them very sick) at the same time.
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Offline pdmattox

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #13 on: September 15, 2008, 07:51:20 am »
Note that apriguard is a thymol gel. No poisions just thymol. If you kill bees with this product it is because the mite level was already to high and you were going to loose them anyway. If the level of tracheal mites is that high they die inside the bees airway and clog it up. It is normal for them to remove the foil paper and they do the same with any other foreign object in the hive.(ever rubber band some comb to a frame? they chew those up a throw them out the front too.)  The mites hate the stuff more. :)

Offline Scadsobees

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2008, 11:16:02 am »
They don't like it.  They don't like newspaper either and chew that out within a day or two.

The second course of apiguard, however, they tend to ignore longer and frequently leave the paper in.  By then they are used to it.

I like apiguard better than I like empty hives in March. :-D

-r
Rick

Offline BEES4U

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Re: apiguard--Frequently Asked Questions
« Reply #15 on: September 23, 2008, 12:14:38 pm »


Use of Apiguard
Frequently Asked Questions   
 
 1. Q: What is Apiguard?
    A:  Apiguard is thymol in a slow-release gel used to control varroa mites in honey bee colonies.


2. Q: How do I apply Apiguard?
    A:  See Vita's leaflet. If you are using Apiguard in trays: peel back the lid of the tray and place, gel side up on top of the brood frames. Make sure to leave enough space for the bees to get into the tray — use a spacer or an empty super on top of the brood chamber. Close the hive. After 2 weeks repeat with a second tray and leave in place for 2 - 4 weeks.
              If you are using the 3 kg tub: use the scoop and spatula to apply 50g Apiguard onto the dosing tray provided. Repeat after 2 weeks and leave in place for a further 2-4 weeks.


3. Q: At what time of the year should I use Apiguard?
    A:  Apiguard is best applied in summer or autumn, outside the period of honeyflow. The external temperature should be above 59°F, which means that the colony is active. Distribution of the Apiguard gel depends on the bees transporting it around the hive during the process of hive cleaning, and this activity increases as the external temperature rises. Application during honeyflows should be avoided in case of tainting the honey.


4. Q: Why can't Apiguard be used in springtime?
    A:  Apiguard can be used in springtime, if necessary, provided the daily temperature is high enough. However, it is not the best time to apply the product. Thymol, which is the active ingredient in Apiguard, can sometimes make the queen stop egg laying for a short period and that is not what is needed in early spring - the colony needs to be growing. If the mite infestation is high in spring, then it is safer to use Apiguard rather than let the mites reproduce further, but treatment is otherwise best left until the summer.


5. Q: Can I feed my colonies while using Apiguard?
    A:  Yes and No. The recommendation is not to apply Apiguard while feeding simultaneously in case the bees spend all their time taking the feed and not bothering to clean out the Apiguard gel. This is not a high risk and will vary between different colonies, so if you have to feed and treat at the same time, try it in a few colonies first and see how the bees react.


6. Q: The first dose is supposed to be left on for 2 weeks, but I've noticed that the gel disappears after only a few days; do I need to put on another dose right away?
    A:  No, the speed at which the gel disappears depends on the temperature and on the behavior of the individual colony. It can take from 2 to 10 days to be removed from the tray/dosing tray. The gel will reduce as vapor is given off and as the bees detect the "foreign material" they try to remove it. At high temperatures the vapors are stronger. The bees will find the gel and try to clean it up quickly. Strong colonies generally work faster than smaller or weaker ones. At lower temperatures, the gel sublimes more slowly. It is not detected as readily by the workers and they do not remove it as quickly.
              Even if the gel seems to have disappeared after only a few days, there is no need to apply a second treatment until 2 weeks have passed. The thymol, although not in the tray, is active throughout the colony during this time, having been carried around by the housecleaning bees.


7. Q: It takes longer for the gel in the second dose to disappear; why is this?
    A:  The second dose usually lasts longer in the trays because the bees have become more accustomed to the odor of thymol in the hive by this time. The cleaning behavior is not as pronounced as for the initial introduction.


8. Q: After 2 weeks there is still some Apiguard left in the tray/on the dosing card. What is happening and what should I do?
    A:  Sometimes as the gel dries, the bees lose interest in it. Empty and spread the remainder onto a flat surface (wax foundation, cardboard about 10 cm x 10 cm). If there is only a small amount of gel remaining, smear it on the top of the brood frames. This is active Apiguard and will be removed by the bees, which will further help in the control of mites.


9. Q: The first dose has been on for 2 weeks, now the second dose should be put on for 2 to 4 weeks. What if I have a honeyflow in this time?
    A:  If you expect a honeyflow, do not treat. If it is essential to treat before moving bees to a honey flow, apply one dose of Apiguard and remove any residual material before the moving the bees. The second dose should be applied immediately after the honeyflow. This regime may possibly not be as effective as two successive applications of Apiguard.


10. Q: I used Apiguard in the spring and my colony seems very small, why?
    A:  It could be that the queen stopped egg laying for a short while. This doesn’t often happen, but if it does, it is a temporary effect only. She will resume egg laying when the thymol odor is dissipating, after around 3 weeks, with no damage to the colony or to the queen.


11. Q: What mite control level will I get by treating with Apiguard?
    A:  Apiguard often gives results as good as those obtained previously with Apistan or Bayvarol, but a lower efficacy should be generally expected, somewhere between 85 - 95% varroa control. The average we have recorded through thousands of hive treatments is 93%. Apiguard works better the warmer it is, up to 100°F.


12. Q: Why should I use Apiguard if it doesn't work as well as Apistan or Bayvarol?
      A:  Strains of Varroa mite resistant to pyrethroids (active ingredients of Apistan and Bayvarol) exist in many areas. Apistan and Bayvarol may not be effective in those areas, so another type of treatment needs to be used. Apiguard works in a different way than pyrethroids and will kill pyrethroid-resistant mites. Where resistant mites are not already established, it is a good idea to “rotate” treatments between pyrethroids and Apiguard.


13. Q: Can I use Apiguard and Apistan at the same time?
      A:  Yes, you could, but it would be a waste of money and would have no real advantage. Use one or the other, but not both at the same time.


14. Q: Are varroa mites resistant to thymol?
      A:  At the moment, no. Pyrethroids and other “traditional” pesticides kill their targets by acting on specific nervous channels in the mite or insect and it is relatively simple for the mite or insect to change its physiology slightly so that it is no longer affected by the nerve agent. Thymol acts in a very different way. As a protein denaturant, it disrupts cell membranes and affects all cellular processes. It is a very general mode of action rather than being highly specific. It should be more difficult for the varroa mite to change all of its body functions to become resistant to thymol. Vita is monitoring mite populations in Europe and we have found no thymol resistance yet. Although it is not impossible, it is less likely that thymol-resistant varroa will arise in the near future.


15. Q: Can I use Apiguard with open mesh floors?
      A:  Thymol vapors are heavier than air and with an open floor much of the value of the treatment would be lost. Close up open mesh floors during the Apiguard treatment and open them again afterwards.


16. Q: Why is Apiguard a gel? Can't I just use thymol?
      A:  Thymol is an effective pesticide, but when applied as raw crystals or in dry formulations, it can be difficult and hazardous to use and the mite control levels variable. In cold conditions, the thymol crystals do not sublime quickly enough and mites are not controlled, but in hot conditions thymol crystals will sublime too quickly, shocking the bees into absconding and often killing bee brood. This is why Apiguard was developed in a gel, to give a slow-release system for the thymol, allowing bees to acclimatize to a low thymol concentration before gradually building up to a mite-lethal level. When used as directed, the Apiguard gel is safe for honey bees and brood.



   
Regards,
Ernie Lucas Apiaries
 
   
   
   
E. B. LUCAS APIARIES
bees4u.com
(Queen Breeder)

Offline Rex

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2008, 06:00:25 pm »
My beekeeping friend gave my hives their second dose of apiguard yesterday.  He said the bees on all my hives had chewed up the paper tray and hauled the remaining foil out of the hive!  They must really dislike it.

They hate the stuff, I don't blame them, so do I.  I won't let the stuff near my hives, there's enough contaminates out there the bees get exposed to without my subjecting them to more.  There's other, less stressful, ways of addressing varroa mites than killing them and your bees (or at least making them very sick) at the same time.

Could you elaborate on alternatives for varroa control?  -thanks

Offline annette

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2008, 11:24:27 pm »
Hi Rex

I have been doing only powdered sugar dustings for the past 2 years with good results. This year I also started to remove drone brood every once in a while. Also the bees regressed in size due to making their own wax combs. All in all, it seems to be working.

I know this is still in the experimental stage, and time will tell if it actually works, but this summer I do not have mite problems at all.

Also distrupting the brood cycle helps keep the mites at bay. I know Brian Bray wrote a post on this.


Offline Rex

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2008, 12:11:26 pm »
Thanks Annette.  Is the screened bottom board pretty much required for the powdered sugar treatment, or is it possible to do that with the normal BB?

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: apiguard
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2008, 12:20:58 pm »
Thanks Annette.  Is the screened bottom board pretty much required for the powdered sugar treatment, or is it possible to do that with the normal BB?

It can be done with a solid BB but you might have to sweep the floor afterward.  Of course you could go with bottemless hives and not have to worry about it at all.,
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