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ocba - Re: [ocba] ocba Digest, Vol 99, Issue 3

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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: "Thomas Grizzle" <griz AT mindspring.com>
  • To: <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] ocba Digest, Vol 99, Issue 3
  • Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 18:08:33 -0400

Marty et al.,

The MiteAway strips are installed, two per hive. One thing I'd like to
relay is that the clear plastic packs that come in the bucket are made of
tough plastic and need to be carefully cut open with scissors. Being a
rookie, I used a blade and was not particularly gentle and when I got the
strips out of each pack, they were stuck together and it was difficult to
figure out how they separated into two pieces. Once separated they were
sort of falling apart when laid upon the tops of the frames. So the take
home message is to gently cut open the plastic and gently try to tease the
two strips apart. Do this right over the hive because once they come apart
they are ready to lay down on the frames. They are rather delicate.

I wore two pairs of dissimilar disposable gloves, no respirator and held my
breath as needed. There was a breeze blowing and the smoker helped to
identify its direction, which was fairly helter skelter. No problems though
with any exposures of skin, lungs, eyes, etc., zero. I am used to working
with toxic agents, so I don't know how much this factored in.

The strips were put in at about 1:30 PM and now 4 hours later there are a
couple of hundred bees on the "runway" and up the front of the hive. Death
to varroa destructor!

I will try to post again in about a week.

Tom

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2013 10:50:58 -0400
From: Just Bee <marty AT justbeenc.com>
Subject: Re: [ocba] Mite Treatment
To: David Eckert <daveckert AT gmail.com>
Cc: Thomas Grizzle <griz AT mindspring.com>, NC Beekeepers Orange County
<ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Message-ID: <0D0CA18E-C529-421F-B34B-E32ED1250976 AT justbeenc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Thanks David

I've heard the singles are also for nucs or small colonies as well. I have
no idea if that effects the % rate of success but I'm sure the temps do.
Seems like a good temp Range this coming week.


I'd only like to point out the non obvious in the single strip on a big
hive...or as they put it 70% effective. Sounds "easier" on the bees and I'm
completely sure it is, but the main problem is you've just decided to select
for 30% of the strongest chemically resistant varroa in that hive!!

Breeding the next generation of super-varroa should be on all our minds.
That's why I applaud Toms use of powered sugar in his options. It's not the
end all to bee treatment but just one good option and at the right time very
effective. I have one colony(caught swarm) that just started Api-guard and
I'm freezing a brood frame right now as well. I will be doing mite counts at
the end of the month when we harvest and do sits to break the brood cycle
I'll PS then and 2 10 day cycles out from there only then will I evaluate
my need for chemical intervention on a hive by hive bases.

Please consider a multi defense plan...since nothing is 100% that's ok for
the bees, we in this new era of beekeeping, have to have our eye on not
causing more problems for us and others later. Super-varroa resistant to
chemical treatment should give everyone pause before applying a singular NON
100% treatment method.

Good luck Tom ...please do keep us updated. It's way to quite on here.

Marty





  • Re: [ocba] ocba Digest, Vol 99, Issue 3, Thomas Grizzle, 06/02/2013

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