>When should i do an early varrora treatment. The only thing ive found says early march. I live near huntington west virginia.
Are you monitoring for mites? Do you have a sticky board or a screened bottom board (SBB) with a tray? Do you know what your 24 hour mite drop is?
I wouldn't do anything if you only have zero to twenty or thirty mites in 24 hours.
Treating when you don't need to just increased the resistant Varroa.
How are you going to treat? My preferences are to use small cell and not treat at all, but my next choices would be:
Oxalic Acid
Formic Acid
FGMO
Thymol
The last time I used Apistan it didn't kill the mites. Checkmite is too toxic to the bees (and me). I have friends who lost the whole hive to what appears to be poisoning from the Checkmite.
If I were using the Apistan (which I'm not) and the mite count was high enough to warrant it, I'd do it when the bees start flying regularly but before the supers go on. Same with Oxalic acid. Formic acid requires more specific temperatures. FGMO fog I'd use every or every other week while the bees are flying until next winter.
Are you monitoring for mites? Do you have a sticky board or a screened bottom board (SBB) with a tray? Do you know what your 24 hour mite drop is?
I wouldn't do anything if you only have zero to twenty or thirty mites in 24 hours.
Treating when you don't need to just increased the resistant Varroa.
How are you going to treat? My preferences are to use small cell and not treat at all, but my next choices would be:
Oxalic Acid
Formic Acid
FGMO
Thymol
The last time I used Apistan it didn't kill the mites. Checkmite is too toxic to the bees (and me). I have friends who lost the whole hive to what appears to be poisoning from the Checkmite.
If I were using the Apistan (which I'm not) and the mite count was high enough to warrant it, I'd do it when the bees start flying regularly but before the supers go on. Same with Oxalic acid. Formic acid requires more specific temperatures. FGMO fog I'd use every or every other week while the bees are flying until next winter.
