Poorly chicken

[gladysgibb]

We have found large mite drops after using icing sugar, in all four of our hives. I have been told that Apiguard won't work below 15 degrees and thought of using Bayvoral strips. Is it too late, as they have to be in for six weeks? Or is there anything else anyone could recommend. This is an urgent situation.

Joan

[beesontoast]

Remember the fact you knocked down a lot of mites with icing sugar is a good thing! It means they are no longer in your hives.

[Chucky Mama]

There is one possibility mentioned in this podcast *HERE*

[beesontoast]

The use of tea tree oil dispersed in grease patties is discussed in the podcast mentioned above, using a recipe developed by the University of West Virginia. It is said to be safe and effective, whereas Bayvarol and Apistan are now known to be toxic to bees and are readily absorbed into the wax, which will be recycled in next year's foundation.

 

You can find the recipe here - http://www.honeybeesuite.com/?p=1841

[gladysgibb]

On using icing sugar, what percentage of the total mites will be knocked down at each application? eg. If 8% is knocked down, then if we apply it 10 or 11 times, the knock down will be 0 or 88%? then we would not need to use anything else. If we decide we need to use the grease patties, we have a problem as all four of our hives have winter stores in supers, and it is recommended that supers are not left on when these patties are used. The same applies with Apistan. Supers of honey have to be removed for six to eight weeks.

Joan

[gladysgibb]

That should have been 80 to 88%. So no need for any other intervention.

Joan

[beesontoast]

On using icing sugar, what percentage of the total mites will be knocked down at each application? eg. If 8% is knocked down, then if we apply it 10 or 11 times, the knock down will be 0 or 88%? then we would not need to use anything else. If we decide we need to use the grease patties, we have a problem as all four of our hives have winter stores in supers, and it is recommended that supers are not left on when these patties are used. The same applies with Apistan. Supers of honey have to be removed for six to eight weeks.

Joan

 

I'm not clear what type of hives you are using, but as you have stores in supers, I assume they are Nationals or similar. Using supers for winter stores is not ideal, as the woodwork and the air gap between super and brood box frames can act as a barrier to the bees in the cold of winter, and it is not unknown for them to starve with a super full of honey right above them.

 

Icing sugar is best used during the warm months, as you need to open the hive and go through it comb-by-comb for a thorough treatment, which obviously should not be done in October. I know some people just drop icing sugar between the frames, but I don't think this is likely to be as effective as dusting it directly onto the backs of the bees, and you still have to open the hive for at least a few minutes, exposing bees to a thermal shock. Remember that their brood nest temperature is around 34 deg C and the air temperature as I write is around 11 deg C.

 

I have done no direct research into the % of mites knocked down by icing sugar, as this would involve the total destruction of a colony to count every single mite present before and after treatment. However, it does produce a significant mite drop and if you apply it several times over a couple of weeks, you will notice a dramatic reduction in the daily mite count.

 

The reason for the advice to remove supers before using grease patties is to avoid having your honey smell of tea tree oil (or wintergreen, if that's what you use). This is only an issue if you are going to consume the honey: the bees won't give a damn, having just eaten their way through flavoured grease patties!