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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var)
- From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
- To: Erika Wittchen <erika48 AT gmail.com>
- Cc: ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
- Subject: Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var)
- Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:37:00 -0400
Erika,
I started treatment with ApiGuard last weekend; another respected person I know started the week before that. ApiGuard can handle higher temps than MiteAway Quick Strips (MAQS). But if the forecast is for highs in the low 80's for a week, you should be fairly safe with MAQS too. When it pushes the 90s, I personally would stick to ApiGuard. If there is a stretch above the low/mid 90s, I would wait altogether. Your observation about a very strong hive suddenly collapsing due to mites is a classic scenario, even an expected one for hives that aren't effectively treated. It is the strongest hives with the most brood and, thus, the most varroa that you often see this happen to. When the colony growth tapers off after the spring nectar flow, the varroa growth overwhelms it. The beekeeper goes into the hive in late July or August and says, "Where'd everybody go?" This is one of those key learning experiences that all long-term, thinking beekeepers have encountered early in their learning journey and have taken to heart. We must know our enemy and take appropriate action to fight it. The hive with the deformed wings may be a lost cause but never say never. Your story is a cautionary tale that took a little while for me to learn too: always keep mite levels low -- don't let them pop in and out of the danger zone. The once-popular advice to only treat when mites get out of control is outdated and not supported by the latest science. The viruses that mites vector and activate continue to wreak havoc even if you get rid of the mite infestation. If these were my hives, I would put on ApiGuard asap. If you have screened bottoms, close them with something -- I prefer cut-down plastic campaign signs but cardboard from an old pizza box works fine too. Place the opened ApiGuard tin directly on the top bars over the brood nest. Put an empty super around it as a spacer and replace the cover. Leave it on for 2 weeks then repeat with a fresh tin. After 2 more weeks you can remove the old tin and empty super. Let me know if you have further questions. Good luck! Randall On 8/25/2015 10:56 AM, Erika Wittchen wrote:
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Erika Wittchen, 08/25/2015
- Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var), Walter Starks, 08/25/2015
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Randall Austin, 08/25/2015
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Walter Starks, 08/25/2015
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Erika Wittchen, 08/25/2015
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Walter Starks, 08/25/2015
- Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var), Randall Austin, 08/25/2015
-
Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Walter Starks, 08/25/2015
-
Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Erika Wittchen, 08/25/2015
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Re: [ocba] varroa count and treatment question (Api Life Var),
Walter Starks, 08/25/2015
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