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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Rob Cook <crookkohler AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: Brad Kosiba <bradkosiba AT gmail.com>, Orange County Beekeepers Association <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Winter prep
  • Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 14:03:17 +0000 (UTC)

Hi Brad,

I am about two miles north of Carrboro, off of North Greensboro.

Rob


On Monday, October 17, 2016 11:57 AM, Brad Kosiba <bradkosiba AT gmail.com> wrote:


Rob,

Where do you live?  Maybe someone could come out to guide you through it the first time.

Cheers,

Brad Kosiba

On Mon, Oct 17, 2016 at 11:37 AM, Rob Cook <crookkohler AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
Will do. Thanks for the advice.

Any tips on the sugar shake procedure? It will be my first sugar shake test. I have seen it done and read about it but any tips are appreciated.

Rob


On Monday, October 17, 2016 11:18 AM, Todd Walker <mtwalker AT imageray.net> wrote:


It is not possible to accurately assess mite levels via visual inspection of bees. One study found that 99.4% of mites on adult bees are under the abdomen in between the sternites feeding on the rich fat bodies located there. The mites you saw could indicate a bigger problem. If a sugar shake reveals that the mite level exceeds the safe threshold, I would use formic acid now. If the level is close to the threshold, I would wait until late December and use Oxalic. If it is well below the threshold, I would let it ride until Spring.

~Todd

From: ocba <ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio. org> on behalf of Rob Cook <crookkohler AT bellsouth.net>
Reply-To: Rob Cook <crookkohler AT bellsouth.net>
Date: Monday, October 17, 2016 at 11:00 AM
To: Walter Starks <walterstarks AT icloud.com>
Cc: "ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [ocba] Winter prep

I am not disagreeing with that conclusion of possible high mite levels. But I would also say that I am a trained biologist and I was really doing a very slow and thorough inspection. I was treating with apiguard this fall also.

If I find high mite levels can I still treat with oxalic or formic acid at this time of year?

Thanks,

Rob


On Monday, October 17, 2016 9:55 AM, Walter Starks <walterstarks AT icloud.com> wrote:


If you are seeing mites during hive inspections there is a good chance that your mite levels are very high. I would recommend a sugar shake as soon as possible.

______

Walter


You never can tell with bees. ~ Winnie-the-Pooh

On Oct 17, 2016, at 9:43 AM, Rob Cook <crookkohler AT bellsouth.net> wrote:

I have not done the shake test. When I removed the grid that I had below the hive to clean it I noticed that I had some young and some adults on the grid. I also noticed that I had a mite that I saw when I was inspecting the hive. I only saw one adult and one smaller one during my inspection.

I did have a lot of bees with pollen on the bees pollen sacs. So that seemed good. I am right on the edge of Carolina North Forest and it seems for the most part the bees are always flying up and towards the forest.

Thanks,

Rob


On Saturday, October 15, 2016 9:59 PM, Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com> wrote:


Rob,

Yes, it is typically for the bees to be mostly up top this time of year,
at least at my place. When they finish filling up the top with the fall
nectar flow they should move back down to the bottom.

How much brood you have this time of year depends on what sort of queen
you have. A thrifty queen may have already begun cutting back on
egg-laying in preparation for winter. That's not a bad thing at all, as
long as you have lots of bees already. Other queens lay pretty much the
time, or don't slow down until later. Genetics is a big factor (for
example, Carniolans are known for being thrifty and Italians are known
for being extravagant), and also simply colony-to-colony variation.

As I was inspecting hives today, I looked for the queen and a nice-sized
bunch of bees. I wasn't concerned with brood. If you've got a queen, a
sufficient amount of bees and abundant honey stores, then (in general)
you are ready for winter.

Have you done a post-treatment varroa assessment? Many folks, including
myself, have been surprised by high mite numbers despite treating with
ApiGuard this fall. It is worth checking.

Randall

On 10/15/2016 5:10 PM, Rob wrote:
> Hello, so my last inspection of my hive showed me that majority of the bees were concentrated up in the top super. Is this normal for this time of year?
>
> I think the honey amount is ok, maybe slightly light. I stopped feeding in august but how much brood should I have?
>
> I have treated for mites with apiguard.

> Thanks,
> Rob crook
>
> Sent from my iPhone

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--
Bradley E Kosiba, PhD
Biochemist-Beekeeper-Gardener-Scouter
 

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