Powdered sugar dusting

[Ruary]

IBRA have published an intering paper on the results of trials of this method of varroa control.

It is public access:
go to http://www.ibra.org.uk/articles/Revi...varroa-control

which should get you to the abstract page, at the bottom of this click on 'open access' which opens the full paper

[Rosie]

It didn't work for me Ruary. Are you sure it is accessible to non-members?

[Ruary]

Yes, the document is 'open access',
try starting at www.ibra.org.uk and through the journal to the issue which is 2012 No 4 and so on.

[Ruary]

Sorry for the wrong information, I am logged in as a default and had no trouble in downloading. I have just tried downloading after logging out and could not do it.

I have contacted IBRA about this as the paper is labelled 'open access' and will report back when I hear from them.

Ruary

[gavin]

Thanks Ruary. It certainly looks as if it is intended to be open access, but isn't.

Sent from my BlackBerry 8520 using Tapatalk

[Ruary]

IBRA tell me that the problem has been rectified.

[Neils]

Looks like it's working now and it's an interesting read. Neither sounding the death knell nor exonorating it as a practice I feel.

[gavin]

One factor worth bringing out is that the effective times were broodless periods. For example, it was partially effective with a January treatment, and the effect that was still observable in October.

I'd be reluctant to use a disruptive treatment in the depths of winter. Not so sure about it either when you have a new queen settling in and the old brood hatched, or a swarm with the old queen which hasn't yet capped its first brood. These are times when queen balling and absconding are a threat.

Many proponents suggest using this as a summer treatment and there is nothing here to support the efficacy of use then, when many mites will be hiding under a nice warm capping.

G.

[Mellifera Crofter]

I'd be reluctant to use a disruptive treatment in the depths of winter.
G.

I reread the article following your post, Gavin. They mentioned blowing the sugar dust into the hive - or do you think that is still too disruptive? (If I do do that, then I think I'd rather buy bellows than try to rig up a vacuum-cleaner as a blower like they have done.)
Kitta

[madasafish]

There is a poster on the BBKA forum who swears by sugar dusting. He claims it is very effective.

But then he does it DAILY..

!

His bees must be stressed out :-)