OAV is not just a late summer or fall/winter treatment. It is also an outstanding spring treatment. Getting a package or catching a swarm? OAV them!
For a package, I like to vaporize the package by placing it under a cardboard box, vaporizing with a ½ gram of OA and hiving the next day. You can also hive them then vaporize when you see eggs/larvae.
As for swarms (which is really nothing more than a package that’s been hived), I vaporize them once I see eggs/larvae.
OAV’ing packages and swarms assures that you have almost a mite free hive when starting!! Vaporizing at this time should carry you over till your late summer treatment.
If you don’t have a vaporizer, check out all the great vaporizers and OxaVap.com!
Could you not hive the same day as you OAV a package using the cardboard box method? I'm picking up some packages this weekend. Pick up day is suppose to be sunny with high in low 70's. The following day, actually most of week is forecast cloudy / rain - hence the question.
OAV is not just a late summer or fall/winter treatment. It is also an outstanding spring treatment. Getting a package or catching a swarm? OAV them! For a package, I like to vaporize the package by placing it under a cardboard box, vaporizing with a ½ gram of OA and hiving the next day. You can also hive them then vaporize when you see eggs/larvae. As for swarms (which is really nothing more than a package that’s been hived), I vaporize them once I see eggs/larvae. OAV’ing packages and swarms assures that you have almost a mite free hive when starting!! Vaporizing at this time should carry you over till your late summer treatment. If you don’t have a vaporizer, check out all the great vaporizers and OxaVap.com!
We oav the packages, we also oav'd all of our hives early February, low brood amounts, starting spring cleaner. So far no mites seen, via drops. The drone brood, so far, mite free.
I like to wait to the next day because the package that you received is just a "foreign" queen and a bunch of bees. Vaping them one day and hiving the next gives them a chance to settle down and it's less stress on them "all at once." Not to say that you can't vap and release the same day, this has just worked well for me.
What about a new nuc? Planning on picking mine up in the next month or so. They are currently treatment free but I don't feel confident in continuing that since these are my first. Should I go ahead and treat them with a vaporizer or wait until the fall?
Wondering why you'd have a package in 2 mediums when I'm guessing one at this time would suffice............at any rate, yes just 1/2 gram.
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