Best time of day to fog?

[allrawpaul]

Seems like it would be best to fog FGMO in the late evening because you would then give the bees all night to recover so that they would be ready the next day to forage properly. I say this because of the saying: "The day you open a hive, you lose that days honey production." The fogging must be somewhat traumatizing? Any comments? Thanks, Paul.

[Joel]

We fog when were out working whatever time of day has us at a given yard. The bees are disrupted by fogging, especially if you use Thymol. They will recover within 1/2 hour from outward appearances but who knows what it does to the phermone communication and how long that has impact.

Pragmatically speaking the evening would be when the field bees are in and since you are looking for impact from knock down the mores bees in the hive, the more mites and the higher impact.

I'd agree, evening is the time for maximum impact on mites and minimal impact on production.

[Jeffzhear]

"...I'd agree, evening is the time for maximum impact on mites and minimal impact on production.

Joel,
Happy New Year 2008; and that's what I do, try to fog them in the evenings.

[Joel]

Hi Jeff, Happy 2008 to you as well, we should get together for lunch this month, I'll pm you!

It is important to note that consistency with fogging is extremely important. Due to some family health problems we fell off the wagon this year and two of our yards suffered for it. We also view FGMO/Thymol as a knock down, in the summer gap, control tool, not a cure. Idee got me on the fog path 2 or 3 years ago when we met down south and the following 2 years were the best mite years I had.