BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > DISEASE & PEST CONTROL
Varroa checks
Ben Framed:
Beeboy I appreciate you speaking out. This is how we all learn. Sometimes we speak out with good information, sometimes our references might be disputed; but all in all it?s healthy in my opinion. I applaud you. You are very knowledgeable and I have learned a lot of good things from you. Keep up the good work!
Phillip
Beeboy01:
Ben Framed, thanks for the complement, I'm just a hobby bee keeper and i know that I don't know a lot. Trying to shake off a day at the local flea market selling honey and educating people about local honey and bee keeping. Man it was hard work explaining where the different flavors of honey come from. I had a good year with over 30 gallons of mixed honey and need to move some to make room. Looks like I'll be a regular at the flea market for a few months. Not complaining, it's just another aspect of bee keeping I haven't have had to do before.
Ben Framed:
Though I would bump this for the sake of newer beekeepers. Good stuff here. In fact I would suggest reading the whole topic.
--- Quote from: Ben Framed on October 22, 2021, 10:37:11 am ---Nigel I can see where it is surprising to you, not being the traditional approach. It was for me as well until Beeboy01 did an experiment back a couple years ago, all the while keeping us updated of the findings as he went along. Coolbees did a similar experiment reporting his findings here on this very same topic, reporting way back in Reply #13. (I realize there has been a lot of ground covered in this interesting topic). Go back and take a look at his interesting findings.
I tried to find beeboy topic as well and with the intention of posting its reference here for you but so far I have not found it. Good stuff uncovered here by both of our fellow members! I am glad you have joined us here at beemaster as well. Your input is very helpful and appreciated!!!
Phillip
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--- Quote from: CoolBees on July 19, 2021, 12:48:13 am ---
--- Quote from: Bill Murray on July 17, 2021, 01:41:49 pm ---... Treatment day 1 then wait till day 7 retreat. The problem is Varroa exiting their capped cells between days 2 and 6....
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I also do 3-day treatment cycles with OAV, for exactly the reason you state. Only, I usually try to treat 9 times (27 day total).
I did mite counts and sticky board drop counts on every hive during treatment - for 2 years. I collected all the data. Based on that data, I now: treat in August (once yearly) & don't count mites. This is what has worked for me, in my area. My bees don't get a brood break due to winter, but they do have a dearth from August till November.
My average mite drop counts would look like this (counted on the 3rd day after each treatment, just prior to the next treatment):
900
900
900
450
300
300
280
320
18
As you can see, the last 2 or 3 treatments seemed to catch a goodly qty of mites, before the drop counts really fell.
I know they say that OAV "stays effective" for 3 days, but my notes showed very little increase in mite drops after about 30 hours post-treatment. Suggesting to me that efficacy drops off quickly.
My data definitely has proven - to me - that a 7-day OAV treatment cycle would not work. Fwiw.
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