I don't feel so bad if really experienced beekeepers are going through the same thing re drop, supercedures and disappearing queens. What a strange time.Originally Posted by Jon
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I don't feel so bad if really experienced beekeepers are going through the same thing re drop, supercedures and disappearing queens. What a strange time.
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I'm still convinced MAQS is too severe.
Would you use MAQS again Jon?
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I agree Grizzly but for the conditions here, still got brood, laying queen, supers on and bees still on the heather, conditions can turn cold any time and no time to loose, it seemed like the best option.
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Definitely not early in the season if I had no spare queens.
I still have queens in apideas so I knew I could make good any loss.
I didn't risk MAQS on any queens I hope to graft from next year. Those colonies got Apiguard.
The main advantage is getting the treatment over and done with in a week.
I was very careful with ventilation as well and treated colonies had an empty brood box or super above the MAQS strips.
Thing is, I have had 3 or 4 queens disappear and a couple of supersedures earlier in the season which were nothing to do with MAQS.
The queen problems may be related to high mite levels.
As a user of Oxalic Acid Vapour (or Sublimation) which I find to be both a cheap and highly effective mite-killing method, I'm really puzzled at why people persist in using other methods - especially those which are known to harm queens.
Electrical dosing equipment for OA Vapourisation can be made for just a few pounds by anyone with basic diy skills, and 1 kg of Oxalic Acid dihydrate (enough for 1,000 treatments) costs around £12 delivered - so that's less than 1.5p per hit.
The advantage of electrical dosing over gas torches etc., is that the user can apply the vapour from *upwind* and from a safe distance. I find that in practice there is no need for any safety equipment to be worn, if switching is done remotely at the end of a long cable.
One dose during winter is all that is required, or multiple doses (3 or 4) a week apart if brood is present. I only apply OA once a year in winter, but always keep the kit handy during the season to use as a 'fire-extinguisher'. But - it's never been required yet.
There is no need to open the hive, and treatments take about 5 minutes from start to finish. I'll shortly be making a rig to dose 4 hives at the same time.
The only negative aspect that I'm aware of, is the need to lug a heavy battery to the apiary - although using a vehicle's battery is one solution, or maybe use a wheelbarrow ?
What's my mite drop ? Dunno - I gave up counting mites years ago. I sometimes found 5 or 6 on a bad day.
Maybe a method worth considering ...?
LJ
Well Little John - I treat with OA trickle in winter but I lost both my colonies from last year ( one was too small and the other one the queen didn't start laying again in spring ) so my present hives are new - one a swarm the other purchased. However the sublimation method - it sounds good but would need someone to show me and the whole equipment "can be made" sounds out with my pay grade. So maybe you would like a trip to the Highlands to show us how it's done!
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Jon -you say "The main advantage is getting the treatment over and done with in a week.
I was very careful with ventilation as well and treated colonies had an empty brood box or super above the MAQS strips."
The speed of treatment was one of my reasons for using it in the hope the queens might have time to lay again. As my bees are in a bee house I have kept entrances and door and windows to the house open day and night with super above but the bees have not gone up into the supers. In the MAQS leaflet they say not to feed while the strips are on. I am interested to know why they recommend this
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Hello Bridget - if you're not conversant with OA Vapourisation, you might find:
of interest.
Best regards
LJ
I always do an Oxalic acid treatment in late December to mop up any phoretic mites in what is likely to be a broodless period.
Trickle rather than vaporisation but both work equally well.No battery needed for the trickle method!
Oxalic is also a great treatment for a newly arrived swarm. MAQS costs about £6 per colony and Oxalic about 10p.
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