Welcome

from Jacqui and me to this record of our experiences as new beekeepers in The Marches.





Search This Blog

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Varroa treatment

Temp reached 8c last Sunday 17th, dry with some sun. Hamish took the opportunity to call round to show me how to apply Oxalic acid. The hive (a National) setup is a super well filled with stores over a brood box with no Queen excluder. There were plenty of bees all located in the brood box. After treatment using syringe to trickle sugar based solution at 5ml per seam of bees, we closed up without further inspection. During about the next hour some workers were seen on cleansing flights and some housekeeping was observed as 7 dead bees were ejected from the entrance.

The bees were left alone for 24 hours. I then removed the tray from under the mesh floor and cleaned it thoroughly before replacing it and leaving it for a further 24hrs. I then counted the dropped mites - total 473! - again cleaned/replaced the floor. Repeated the procedure and after next 24hrs the count today was 302.

When checked last Sept after Apiguard treatment no mites were seen. At the end of Oct during the warmer period a few mites were seen but not counted. The current high counts therefore come as a surprise.

Yesterday enjoyed an excellent evening talk by Gerry Collins a Master Beekeeper "Queens and Things" organised by Kidderminster, and Hagley and Sourbridge BKAs.

No comments:

Post a Comment