Fall Medications
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I was wondering the same thing. Considering the horribly long, wet winter and spring we had in Oregon this year, are there are any prophylactic treatments to consider to keep the hives healthy? Considering the sudden change in weather, I suspect our fall has arrived, too.
Like Jay T, I don’t see any obvious problems, but I’m also not 100% sure.
Thanks for any input!
-Kevin
Like Jay T, I don’t see any obvious problems, but I’m also not 100% sure.
Thanks for any input!
-Kevin
Joined
·
1,683 Posts
Well your first job would be to assess the hive.
How was the honey production?
How is the brood production?
Is the brood healthy?
Then-
what are your mite counts... drop method, alcohol wash, sugar roll method.
If you are doing the alcohol wash or sugar role, you need the bees from the brood frames (w/o the queen)
From there, since your weather has been rubbish, you might consider a pollen patty supplement. I am a firm believer in good nutrition. A diifficult growing season puts stress on plants. Stressed plants = poor pollen proiten.
then you might consider feeding fumagillin B for nosema prevention
and or terrimyacin for AFB prevention
And finally a mite treatment. Now for the mites, when you test them, realize that the mite count doubles in % every three weeks. At four weeks brood damage occurs. At this time of year, anything over 2% will see problems for the wintering bees. What this means is your chance of winter survival decreases.
If you are in a dearth and have pulled your honey, start feeding your hives so they can maintain strength and colony numbers for the winter. In our winters we feed about 5-7 gallons of feed for winter survival. this feed is given in a couple of weeks so they can dry it down and cap it before winter sets in reducing the amount of moisture in the hive for the winter
'luck
How was the honey production?
How is the brood production?
Is the brood healthy?
Then-
what are your mite counts... drop method, alcohol wash, sugar roll method.
If you are doing the alcohol wash or sugar role, you need the bees from the brood frames (w/o the queen)
From there, since your weather has been rubbish, you might consider a pollen patty supplement. I am a firm believer in good nutrition. A diifficult growing season puts stress on plants. Stressed plants = poor pollen proiten.
then you might consider feeding fumagillin B for nosema prevention
and or terrimyacin for AFB prevention
And finally a mite treatment. Now for the mites, when you test them, realize that the mite count doubles in % every three weeks. At four weeks brood damage occurs. At this time of year, anything over 2% will see problems for the wintering bees. What this means is your chance of winter survival decreases.
If you are in a dearth and have pulled your honey, start feeding your hives so they can maintain strength and colony numbers for the winter. In our winters we feed about 5-7 gallons of feed for winter survival. this feed is given in a couple of weeks so they can dry it down and cap it before winter sets in reducing the amount of moisture in the hive for the winter
'luck
Joined
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12,000 Posts
There's an overview of common diseases and pests here:
http://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/diseases-and-pests-of-honey-bees/
Keep in mind that this is from 1980.
Also, if this is your first year with bees, make sure you have read up on treatments and understand the consequences of treating bees both prophylactically and as needed. Changing plans down the road can be costly.
Check these out:
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214047
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190399
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193966
http://www.beesource.com/resources/usda/diseases-and-pests-of-honey-bees/
Keep in mind that this is from 1980.
Also, if this is your first year with bees, make sure you have read up on treatments and understand the consequences of treating bees both prophylactically and as needed. Changing plans down the road can be costly.
Check these out:
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214047
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=190399
http://beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193966
"Beekeeping Tips for August"
by Todd Balsiger -- Oregon Beekeepers Association
>>August is a difficult time to work bees - it is hot and the bees have a strong inclination to rob. But there are vital tasks to be done that will greatly increase the odds for winter survival that we must do.
>>Treat for varroa in early August - the latest you should delay is the 15th. Our objective is to raise a healthy crop of winter bees. Some of our mite treatments are hard on the bees too, and that is partly why it is important to begin your treatments early so that they have time to recover. >> http://www.orsba.org/htdocs/regionalbranch.php
by Todd Balsiger -- Oregon Beekeepers Association
>>August is a difficult time to work bees - it is hot and the bees have a strong inclination to rob. But there are vital tasks to be done that will greatly increase the odds for winter survival that we must do.
>>Treat for varroa in early August - the latest you should delay is the 15th. Our objective is to raise a healthy crop of winter bees. Some of our mite treatments are hard on the bees too, and that is partly why it is important to begin your treatments early so that they have time to recover. >> http://www.orsba.org/htdocs/regionalbranch.php
I've been regularly culling drone pupae as my mite 'treatments'. (varroa prefer to reproduce in drone cells) I have a drone foundation frame in each hive where the queen mostly like to lay her drone brood. A few other drone cells get built here and there on other frames, but I let them have that.
I also leave the screen bottoms completely open, and keep some upper ventilation open as well. The bees seem to be thriving so far. I saw lots of new honey yesterday in the upper deeps, but I will be leaving that for the bees for winter stores. There are upper supers in place just in case they want to give me some honey before the end of the year, but so far they are just keeping busy filling and arranging things in their two deeps.
I also leave the screen bottoms completely open, and keep some upper ventilation open as well. The bees seem to be thriving so far. I saw lots of new honey yesterday in the upper deeps, but I will be leaving that for the bees for winter stores. There are upper supers in place just in case they want to give me some honey before the end of the year, but so far they are just keeping busy filling and arranging things in their two deeps.
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