Mini nuc survival rate 2014-2015

[Pete L]

if I recall correctly she mentioned impact on Queens resulting in more frequent supercedure amongst other concerns. She used to be a biochemist so I think she would have a good insight to this.

I think she is wasting her time with that message, HJ, very few seem to believe it.

[gavin]

Supersedure is often in-season supersedure, before the queen has had a chance to get exposed to oxalic. If there is a greater frequency of queen problems then I'd blame it on N ceranae rather than oxalic.

[Jon]

There are papers which state that Oxalic is not a problem for queens. I don't have the references to hand. personally I have not seen queen losses or early supersedure after using oxalic trickle. MAQS, now that's another matter! Nosema and virus can also induce early supersedure so it would be hard to isolate any single cause.

[HJBee]

I obviously didn't pay enough attention to repeat verbatim, but it was the resulting impact in Queen laying / egg / larvae outcome in spring build up resulting in supercedure in late spring summer.

[HJBee]

I had no issues using MAQS in late spring in one hive (which was the highest yielding too), I did an A/S on the other as swarm prevention but not singular supercedure. Maybe timing if use is a factor?

[Jon]

HJ
I have had various queens live into their 4th season which had been treated with Oxalic every winter.
I think the MAQS is quite an aggressive treatment. You get a few hundred dead workers outside the front of the colony the day after treatment starts.
The Apideas were all bringing in lots of pollen today.

[mbc]

HJ
I have had various queens live into their 4th season which had been treated with Oxalic every winter.
I think the MAQS is quite an aggressive treatment. You get a few hundred dead workers outside the front of the colony the day after treatment starts.
The Apideas were all bringing in lots of pollen today.

Whereas the workers quickly carc it when repeatedly dosed, do you think this is because the queens don't directly ingest it?

[Poly Hive]

Interesting info here but.... how many mark their queens? With out that info Sup or not is problematic.

I am pro Oxalic as it is easy, simple and seems to work very well. As posted on the poly thread I don't look for mite drop but I DO check drone brood and this last season ran drone brood combs and thoroughly checked them... not a mite to be seen. Happy days.

This Winter I started with two minis and for business reasons was late in going to check them, one gone, starvation so my fault entirely and the other going strong so they now have a good chunk of fondant on them. we will see....

PH

[Jon]

I mark and clip all of mine so no speculation involved.

[mbc]

Checked 13 mini pluses yesterday and all but one were looking fine, the one iffy one was light on stores so I removed a frame and slipped a bag of candypoline in the gap, ill fill the feeders with syrup on my next round ~Valentine's day, and hopefully all will pull through.
One thing of note was that the empty frame I pulled out was riddled with moth larvae, makes me concerned for some of the roomier units on double brood which have some unoccupied, empty, but warm frames, ideal breeding grounds for moth.