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Author Topic: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment  (Read 8781 times)

Offline Duc Duck Doc

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7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« on: April 17, 2019, 10:31:29 am »
Hi there! I'm a newbee. The state inspector looked at my hive and said I need to treat for varroa. The Honey Bee Health coalition and Beezneedz recommended FormicPro which I now have. One can treat 7 days with 2 simultaneous strips or 14 days with 2 strips in series. Does anyone know the advantages/disadvantages of either approach?

Follow up to original post:
Thanks for the comments. Now I'm terrified!
I do have a screen bottom which I read is recommended to allow more ventilation. I guess I'll just buy another one if the formic acid eats through.
I'm planning on treating Saturday when the weather is better and after our bee club meets for a talk on varroa. The highest temperature in the next 10 days here is 81 degrees.
I do not plan on harvesting honey from this hive since they swarmed about a month ago and I'd like to get let them build up.
This is a hive I was given from a woman who was selling her house, which is why the bees weren't treated in the fall.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2019, 08:55:49 pm by Duc Duck Doc »

Offline blackforest beekeeper

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2019, 02:35:47 pm »
without knowing this specific product but some experience with formic acid:
the 7 day-treatment with 2 strips sounds like a shock-treatment. This would be ideal if the hive has quite a bit of a varroa-load.
the 14-day-treatment is less harsh, but not as fast.

I never used formic in spring.
in fall one would control varroa-load 14 days after treatment has ended and go from there: another treatment with formic might necessary.

I do "shocks" only. Short bursts of formic acid on a sponge cloth, repeated every six days as long as they need it.

Offline Live Oak

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2019, 03:27:11 pm »
Its getting kind of late to be treating with formic acid treatments.  Yes, both MAQS & Formic Pro state that you can use their product upto 85 degrees F.  I would caution using it above 80 degrees F as formic acid can be extremely hard on brood and queens.  If you still have mild weather in the mid 70's up to 80 degrees, you should probably be ok but once the temperatures get above 80, I would not use either on my bees.  Both are very effective on varroa mites, especially reproductive varroa mites that live in the capped brood comb. 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2019, 07:25:55 pm »
If you have screened top or bottom boards, bee Forewarned, formic acid can put holes in them.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Duc Duck Doc

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2019, 08:14:24 pm »
Thanks for the comments. Now I'm terrified!
I do have a screen bottom which I read is recommended to allow more ventilation. I guess I'll just buy another one if the formic acid eats through.
I'm planning on treating Saturday when the weather is better and after our bee club meets for a talk on varroa. The highest temperature in the next 10 days here is 81 degrees.
I do not plan on harvesting honey from this hive since they swarmed about a month ago and I'd like to get let them build up.
This is a hive I was given from a woman who was selling her house, which is why the bees weren't treated in the fall.

Thanks all!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2019, 10:24:54 am »
I would worry more about what the formic acid does to the microbes...

http://bushfarms.com/beesmorethan.htm
http://bushfarms.com/beesfoursimplesteps.htm#ecology
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My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline Live Oak

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2019, 08:36:43 pm »
Thanks for the comments. Now I'm terrified!
I do have a screen bottom which I read is recommended to allow more ventilation. I guess I'll just buy another one if the formic acid eats through.
I'm planning on treating Saturday when the weather is better and after our bee club meets for a talk on varroa. The highest temperature in the next 10 days here is 81 degrees.
I do not plan on harvesting honey from this hive since they swarmed about a month ago and I'd like to get let them build up.
This is a hive I was given from a woman who was selling her house, which is why the bees weren't treated in the fall.

Thanks all!

I stopped using formic and have not had a need to use OA since I changed over to thermal varroa mite treatment.  You might want to consider it depending upon how many hive you want to keep.  I just completed a round of thermal treatment on all of my 8 & 10 frame hives.  It took me about 16 days to treat 110 hives.  I am moving on to my nucleus colonies next week.  I have about 30 of those and can hopefully get them all treated in 3 or 4 days.  If you would like to learn more about thermal varroa mite treatment, here are a few links you can review:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/

Here is where you can purchase a unit.

https://www.beehivethermalindustries.com/

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2019, 01:14:58 am »
Thanks for the comments. Now I'm terrified!
I do have a screen bottom which I read is recommended to allow more ventilation. I guess I'll just buy another one if the formic acid eats through.
I'm planning on treating Saturday when the weather is better and after our bee club meets for a talk on varroa. The highest temperature in the next 10 days here is 81 degrees.
I do not plan on harvesting honey from this hive since they swarmed about a month ago and I'd like to get let them build up.
This is a hive I was given from a woman who was selling her house, which is why the bees weren't treated in the fall.

Thanks all!

I stopped using formic and have not had a need to use OA since I changed over to thermal varroa mite treatment.  You might want to consider it depending upon how many hive you want to keep.  I just completed a round of thermal treatment on all of my 8 & 10 frame hives.  It took me about 16 days to treat 110 hives.  I am moving on to my nucleus colonies next week.  I have about 30 of those and can hopefully get them all treated in 3 or 4 days.  If you would like to learn more about thermal varroa mite treatment, here are a few links you can review:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/

Here is where you can purchase a unit.

https://www.beehivethermalindustries.com/

I really like what I see here with this equipment. I have watched a couple videos about this since I pulled up the link that you posted. Each video showed a single brood box, I would like to ask you do you also use a single brood box or double. If you use the double, where do you locate the heat sensor? How long have you been using this system? Does it also do anything for small hive beetles? If so that would be a super bonus!
Thanks, Phillip   
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2019, 09:11:10 am »
BlackForest quote
I do "shocks" only. Short bursts of formic acid on a sponge cloth, repeated every six days as long as they need it.

What type of sponge cloths do you use blackforest ? Is this something that you make up yourself? What percentage of formic acid do you use? Thanks, Phillip
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Live Oak

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Re: 7 day vs 14 day Formic Pro treatment
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2019, 12:00:50 pm »
Thanks for the comments. Now I'm terrified!
I do have a screen bottom which I read is recommended to allow more ventilation. I guess I'll just buy another one if the formic acid eats through.
I'm planning on treating Saturday when the weather is better and after our bee club meets for a talk on varroa. The highest temperature in the next 10 days here is 81 degrees.
I do not plan on harvesting honey from this hive since they swarmed about a month ago and I'd like to get let them build up.
This is a hive I was given from a woman who was selling her house, which is why the bees weren't treated in the fall.

Thanks all!

I stopped using formic and have not had a need to use OA since I changed over to thermal varroa mite treatment.  You might want to consider it depending upon how many hive you want to keep.  I just completed a round of thermal treatment on all of my 8 & 10 frame hives.  It took me about 16 days to treat 110 hives.  I am moving on to my nucleus colonies next week.  I have about 30 of those and can hopefully get them all treated in 3 or 4 days.  If you would like to learn more about thermal varroa mite treatment, here are a few links you can review:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275791919813444/

Here is where you can purchase a unit.

https://www.beehivethermalindustries.com/

I really like what I see here with this equipment. I have watched a couple videos about this since I pulled up the link that you posted. Each video showed a single brood box, I would like to ask you do you also use a single brood box or double. If you use the double, where do you locate the heat sensor? How long have you been using this system? Does it also do anything for small hive beetles? If so that would be a super bonus!
Thanks, Phillip

The Mighty Mite Killer units treat both single deep/medium or double.  I don't recommend it but I have treated 3 and 4 deep hives.  Singles and doubles work the best as there is much less space inside the hive to raise the temperature and much less work disassembling the hive. 

 

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