You could use the one strip treatment and then repeat it later.
treating for mites
I have several hives, one is really weak, that have high mite numbers. It will be cool here in Maryland for the next 8-10 days. Is there a problem with using Mite-Away Quick Strips this early in the bee year? I know the usual plan is to use the strips do they reduce mites on the over-winter bees. I am re-queening 4 hives late next week and I'd like to nock down the mite numbers first.
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so use one strip instead of the usual two per colony?You could use the one strip treatment and then repeat it later.
If you are looking for a quick nock down of the population a 1 strip application can be done and then a second one later on.
Does this apply to hives that have deep brood boxes?If you are looking for a quick nock down of the population a 1 strip application can be done and then a second one later on.
What about single or double nucs and relatively new splits?
I ask as I used this product on double deeps last year. Lost one Queen very shortly after but have no idea if related to treatment. I had no nucs last year. This year I have single deep and a few nucs from singles to triples and have no idea how best to treat. I know I have mites as have seen a few but the drone brood hasn't been exhibiting them.
Is there a better product than MAQS for the nucs and weaker hives?
Thanks for any and all guidance .
WBVC - It applies to entire hives of any kind. However, if using the MAQS on NUC's I personally wouldn't want less then a double 5 frame as the space is what the MAQS takes into consideration from what i've read on their website and packages. They suggest one strip for each brood chamber. I would think that you could half a strip for single nuc's if needed.
OA is an option for weaker colonies that you may have. I know lots of people are starting to use it now. Nice thing about it is the cost. Only a few cents per hive if using a vaporizer. The vaporizer itself is a bit pricey but otherwise very well worth the investment. It all depends upon what you want to do really.
OA is an option for weaker colonies that you may have. I know lots of people are starting to use it now. Nice thing about it is the cost. Only a few cents per hive if using a vaporizer. The vaporizer itself is a bit pricey but otherwise very well worth the investment. It all depends upon what you want to do really.
What is OA ?OA is an option for weaker colonies that you may have. I know lots of people are starting to use it now. Nice thing about it is the cost. Only a few cents per hive if using a vaporizer. The vaporizer itself is a bit pricey but otherwise very well worth the investment. It all depends upon what you want to do really.
It's Oxalic Acid. There is TONS of info here on BS about it. You can also go to OxaVap.com for more information. Once you purchase the vaporizer, OA treatments are pennies per treatment. No brood, bee or queen loss.What is OA ?
If you are planning on requeening anyway, I would do the full treatment two pads and just requeen. I don't see a down side? Don't just knock the mites back, knock them out then requeen you have plenty of time left in the season for your new queens to lay up new bees for winter. JMHO
Thanks. I am new at treating (real management) and I do not want to harm the colony by overdoing things. There is no downside to using formic acid strips?If you are planning on requeening anyway, I would do the full treatment two pads and just requeen. I don't see a down side? Don't just knock the mites back, knock them out then requeen you have plenty of time left in the season for your new queens to lay up new bees for winter. JMHO
Downside of formic acid strips? Some beekeepers report queen issues including premature queen death by using formic acid strips when the temperature is "high." By "high" my understanding is greater than 85 degrees. Formic Acid is quick acting (for a strip) and the active portion of the treatment is about three days. As I recall the label wants the strips left in for at least a week. If you are new to working with pesticides there is a document from the manufacturer called the label which describes how to use the product and what precautions you need to take in terms of personal protective gear, withdrawal period, etc. Labels are approved by the EPA and following their instructions is required by law.
It is generally sensible to alternate miticides to reduce opportunities for the mites to develop resistance to them. As an example although some say that mite resistance to formic acid is highly unlikely due to the mechanism by which it works, I will choose a different product (probably HopGuard II) to treat with this fall.
You should verify that you have a mite problem worthy of treating before you apply anything.
There are a number of different miticides and I encourage you to learn about the different ones before deciding what is right for you and your bees. A good resource is scientificbeekeeping.com
It is generally sensible to alternate miticides to reduce opportunities for the mites to develop resistance to them. As an example although some say that mite resistance to formic acid is highly unlikely due to the mechanism by which it works, I will choose a different product (probably HopGuard II) to treat with this fall.
You should verify that you have a mite problem worthy of treating before you apply anything.
There are a number of different miticides and I encourage you to learn about the different ones before deciding what is right for you and your bees. A good resource is scientificbeekeeping.com
Let me rephrase that. The down side is you may loose some queens and it may kill some of the brood. But, if your going to requeen any way that solves the queen problem. As far as the brood goes the new queens should build the number of bees back up on the fall flow or your fall feeding if it's needed. So by requeening I don't see where you will have any problems by using the full treatment especially if the temps are cool like you said they were going to be.
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