Is anyone using Apigaurd? I saw it in use for the first time yesterday. How many of you are using it? How do you like it? Cost effectiveness evaluation?
I have made thymol patties and have never had as good of a mite kill
as with apigaurd I have matched the initial knock down but not the
sustained kill. And yes it is hard getting back in 14 days but it pays
I have use apiguard on hobby side for a couple of years now as my only treatments for mites. This year I plan to do a follow up with OA dribble in November based upon readings of Randy Olivers's articles.
The 2 x 50g treatment is good for a single brood or for a double brood. If you use more than two brood boxes then a further dose is often needed. The 25g treatment is useful for treating small colonies (nucs or small wintering colonies). At daytime temperatures, as you report of 103F I would try 2 x 25g or maybe 3 x 25g (See the attached list of FAQs and answers on Apiguard).
No need to restrict the entrance but make sure the bees have enough space to actually get at the gel. Best way we have found is to put an empty super on top of the brood box(es).
Let me know how you get on.
All the best,
Max
Dr Max Watkins
Director
Vita (Europe) Limited
21/23 Wote Street
Basingstoke
Hampshire RG21 7NE
UK
just buy thymol crystals and put 8 grams in a honey jar lid and leave some head space with a rim board and it has the same results as apiguard but way cheaper.
the author, Peter Edwards is a well respected beekeeper in England and president of a major beekeeper association where he promotes this as the primary varroa treatment and has been used for over 15 years there
So based on the reading of the article and the pricing of the thymol crystals is only a 55% savings over using Apiguard on the size of your operation. Do you follow the 4 week treatment plan?
Yes we have excellent control on 500 hives, 2nd year running. Feed light amount dissolved in alcohol in syrup in spring and maybe fall also controls mites.
Thanks Bud,
But I'm confused (it's my nature).....First you say, buy the crystals and put 8 grams in a jar lid & place on the hive. Then you state "Feed light amount dissolved in alcohol in syrup in spring and maybe fall also controls mites."
I apologize. I meant to say that Vita stated that Dadant is the company that their shipment was fast tracked to in my previous post. I don't even think Mann Lake carries Apiguard.
yes its the same idea as apiguard and other miticides you repeat the procedure after 2 weeks to kill mites that hatched out in the meanwhile.
we use crystals and also give one feeding of thymol in syrup.
you can dissolve thymol in alcohol and feed 6.4 grams/thymol per colony in syrup. usda bee lab in baton rougue did a study and showed the thymol is present in low doses in late larva stages. studies are lacking that show this method actually kills mites but i can say we have had very good wintering on colonies fed thymol and overall good mite control.
We are just starting our second round of apiguard treatment (we were advised to do 3 25g treatments). Seems to be doing the trick have several sticky boards placed randomly around in different yards. Bees seem to like the stuff better the second go round they move right to the card and start climbing around on it. As for labor my hired man and myself can treat 15 locations per day, today we did 17 but didn't have much driving distance. I know of 2 other commercial beekeepers in my area also using apiguard now too
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