[jimbo3]

I know the question is what my mite load is. I have no idea. I don't want to risk washing the queen as I have only two hives. I treated with formic back in May, and treated again with OA for 5 times from 8/15 to 9/3. I'm still not convinced of risking the queen with alcohol washes if you're going to treat anyway, but that's another subject.

Would another round of OA help before winter? Just blindly giving another several rounds before winter as it seems rather harmless to the bees?

 

[Robert Holcombe]

jimbo3 - Waht does your sticky board tell you? Horizontal migration is happening now.

 

[SeaCucumber]

I did a round of 5 OAV on all hives ending 7/20 (first OAV in 2020). The 20 day average was 8 mites/bottom board drawer. 1 hive will be TF. It got a special queen on 9/24. I did 1 OAV on 9/22 (night before open feeding) with 20 mites average. Are they good until the winter treatment? I lost 1 hive last spring, and I think the bees stayed in the apiary. If I loose 2 of 5 hives like that, I don't think it will make a difference.

 

[LAlldredge]

Yes. Another round is in order because of the potential of fall mite bombs, migration and drift in the area. Even if you did one to see what the 24 hour drop is would tell you a lot. I did a series in August (6 treatments every 5 days) then followed on with a series from September 15th until October 4th (7 treatments every 3 days). I was surprised at how many mites the later series generated. I believe the summer drought contributed.

 

[whtblr22]

jimbo3 - Waht does your sticky board tell you? Horizontal migration is happening now.

Robert, Can you explain what you mean by horizontal migration. I have seen what I believe to be horizontal migration in my hives that I have OAV'd based on the location of mite drop on the tray under my Screened Bottom Board.

 

[dekster]

Robert, Can you explain what you mean by horizontal migration. I have seen what I believe to be horizontal migration in my hives that I have OAV'd based on the location of mite drop on the tray under my Screened Bottom Board.

I believe Robert refers to mites being brought from other hives, so even if you had zero mites 2 weeks ago, now they may bringing them from other hives, so you need to keep checking the sticky board.

 

[Gir]

My vote is yes, blast them with OA. Blast them a few more times.

 

[Vance G]

What I often to do is wait for a warm day when the bees are flying in December on when the bees are broodless and do a single treatment to clean up all the phoretic mites in the hive.

 

[Cloverdale]

I know the question is what my mite load is. I have no idea. I don't want to risk washing the queen as I have only two hives. I treated with formic back in May, and treated again with OA for 5 times from 8/15 to 9/3. I'm still not convinced of risking the queen with alcohol washes if you're going to treat anyway, but that's another subject.

Would another round of OA help before winter? Just blindly giving another several rounds before winter as it seems rather harmless to the bees?

Jimbo, yes, do again and check the drop. And repeat end November-December. Used Formic Pro beginning of August, just did our first treatment of OVap, and had a big mite drop in all hives but 2 (23 hives). We will do 4 more (depending on drop) and again November-December.

 

[MichiganMike]

I OAV from August until November and have never observed any ill effects. I do at least one treatment in late December.

 

[Cloverdale]

Just to add info to this thread; I did Formic Pro beginning of August. 3 ½ days ago did one Oxalic Vap, did another one today. Had a visitor to the apiary, was telling him about mites and bees, saw a drone fly and land next to the hive I was showing him, picked it up, 2 mites on it. One on the thorax, a definite phoretic mite hitching a ride from somewhere, and another underneath near the butt. So, evidence of the Fall influx of mites. So keep treating.

 

[mtnmyke]

Since I got my easy vap I've been treating like crazy, since it's now so easy to treat all my hives.

Our hardest times here are in Summer with winter bringing lots of flowers. As such, I treat late spring after the flow, and now when the brood chamber is the smallest. As long as you don't have honey on the boxes it's incredibly easy and I've never noticed a single ill effect.

I've even had some really infested hives that took 12 treatments, 3 days apart, to get the mites down. (They were rescue hives not from my genetics. And yes, if I did it again I would have used Apivar) However, those hives are still alive and strong will low numbers - on par with my other hives.

If in doubt, OAV them out!

 

[MichiganMike]

Just to add info to this thread; I did Formic Pro beginning of August. 3 ½ days ago did one Oxalic Vap, did another one today. Had a visitor to the apiary, was telling him about mites and bees, saw a drone fly and land next to the hive I was showing him, picked it up, 2 mites on it. One on the thorax, a definite phoretic mite hitching a ride from somewhere, and another underneath near the butt. So, evidence of the Fall influx of mites. So keep treating.

Yep, and that drone may have originated from a mite bomb and not your hive. Hives accept all drones regardless of their origin. Mite bombs can get you even if your bees are not raiders that is why I treat continiously.

 

[Cloverdale]

:thumbsup:

 

[mtnmyke]

I OAV from August until November and have never observed any ill effects. I do at least one treatment in late December.

How often are you doing your treatments?

 

[MichiganMike]

How often are you doing your treatments?

I try to treat wednesdays and saturdays, weather and time permitting until at least the end of October. The last two years I observed my hives evicting drones on October 10 and I assume reinfestion as long as drones are permitted in the hive. I do check for mite drop on and off through the process but continue my treatments even if I get low numbers. I have not lost any colonies over winter in several years. I do not feed my bees and only insulate the top of the hive.

 

[wildbranch2007]

:thumbsup:

one of the local commercial beeks just picked up his yards around here, he doesn't treat until he gets down to florida, the others have not started yet that I can see, we have to treat continually until the snow fly's it seems.

 

[jimbo3]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm planning to do one round today, then, depending on my schedule, four more rounds every 3-5 days.