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Author Topic: medicating bees  (Read 10692 times)

Offline tejas

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medicating bees
« on: August 23, 2004, 08:31:15 pm »
Just wanting some advice on medicating bees in the fall. Bee Keeping for Dummies says first year package bees should not need medication. I live in the south where mites are not as bad of a problem. I’m thinking of just giving them some honey B healthy in their syrup and that’s it. So I’m wondering what you all think about this.

Anonymous

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medicating bees
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2004, 10:20:50 pm »
My first year package bees were infested with mites when I got them home. They were from the south, Georgia
 :D Al

Offline Robo

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medicating bees
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2004, 08:46:04 am »
I would not rely on what the book say "SHOULD" happen/not happen.  DO yourself a favor and do a mite drop count.  It is the cheapest insurance you can take.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline tejas

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medicating bees
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2004, 05:57:53 pm »
Robo,

That sounds like good advice.

Offline Robo

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« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2004, 09:34:23 pm »
Hopefully the book is right and you don't have any sizeable mite infestation to worry about.  But boy you will rest much easier this winter when your planning for next year knowing you don't have mites than worrying if you'll still have a colony to start with.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Anonymous

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medicating bees
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2004, 12:56:12 am »
Speaking of medication. I have yet to see anybody on the forum mention using terramycin, fumigillin or menthol. Does anybody use this stuff? If not, then how do you protect your bees from foulbrood, nosema or tracheal mites

Offline tejas

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medicating bees
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2004, 12:23:45 am »
I finally got around to doing the mite drop count today and am glad to report no mites were found. I guess I will treat with Fumigilin B, Menthol, honey B healthy and skip the asistan strips this fall. One side note, after reading several posts about using very little smoke during inspections I decided to give it a try. A couple of puffs at the front entrance and one under the cover. Big mistake, when I pulled the first frame I had some very unhappy bees, thankfully no stings due to protective clothing. I won't be doing that again.

Offline asleitch

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medicating bees
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2004, 04:27:47 am »
Quote from: tejas
I finally got around to doing the mite drop count today and am glad to report no mites were found. I guess I will treat with Fumigilin B, Menthol, honey B healthy and skip the asistan strips this fall. One side note, after reading several posts about using very little smoke during inspections I decided to give it a try. A couple of puffs at the front entrance and one under the cover. Big mistake, when I pulled the first frame I had some very unhappy bees, thankfully no stings due to protective clothing. I won't be doing that again.


Using little smoke works when their is lots of nectar in the hive and they are busy. Towards the end of the season they get more grumpy as A) they are protecting their hard won honey, B) they have nothing else to do. Some people find a water sprayer works fine - just give them a light misting. Certainly I find that I cannot find the queen unless I use minimal smoke.

Adam

Anonymous

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medicating bees
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2004, 08:04:29 pm »
Asleitch is absolutely right about the reasons that bees are sometimes so agressive. You'll also find that different hives react differently to your intrusion depending on their particular genetics and prediliction to aggression.

I use a light sugar syrup in my spray bottle that seems to help as the bees are normally so busy cleaning each other off that they pretty well ignore me. Just be sure that the temperature of the syrup is at least consistent with the outside temperature.

Offline Kris^

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medicating bees
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2004, 03:55:39 pm »
Quote from: carbide
Speaking of medication. I have yet to see anybody on the forum mention using terramycin, fumigillin or menthol. Does anybody use this stuff? If not, then how do you protect your bees from foulbrood, nosema or tracheal mites


My intention is to treat with apistan, fumigilin, menthol and terramycin.  I had thought to begin last week, but my bees made other plans for me.  The queen laid eggs in the upper honey supper, crawling across much undrawn foundation in the lower honey super to get there.  So I have a few remaining frames of partially filled comb in the sole remaining super, waiting for the brood to emerge so I can remove the honey.  My concern was that Imirie says the menthol should be placed by August 15th, but then I read the material from the manufacturer that said whenever daytime temperatures are above 60 degrees F, and the menthol-map I found online put my area in and about the first week of October range.  That time is within the right range for the other medications, and it should also give me plenty of time to feed the colony to ensure they have enough food for the winter.  

I've been concerned that winter will come early this year, because everything else agricultural has happened so early this year, including the blooms on the mums.  So naturally, I worry that I'm giving my hive enough time to prepare for the winter.

-- Kristine

 

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