Page 2 of 9 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 82

Thread: Api Life Var vs Apiguard vs (insert favourite non Pyrethoid Varroa Treatment)

  1. #11

    Default

    Nellie

    I have a spreadsheet of all the treatments I used for comparison and I would say in most cases its more effective than the api var , apiguard or exomite
    I will try to figure out how to display the chart here but as it's on my laptop not the web so I haven't been able to do that at the moment.
    If I had only a couple of hives I would go with api var because it's the simplest.

    try this link to google docs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...thkey=CN6ehKwM

    Te hive numbers are along the top (there is no numbers 1, 17, 18)
    The sample date on the left hand side
    The varroa count forms the body of the sheet
    treatments are colour coded
    all hives made it through winter 0 losses
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 23-06-2011 at 01:12 PM. Reason: add link

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    Very interesting. I don't mind knocking up a chart to put up. You can display that sheet as an image from the link you provided, but I didn't want to edit your post.

    Agree that with a few hives it's easier to slap a tray etc of your treatment of choice on than go to extra trouble. I guess in some respects I've spent too much time on a different forum where they cook up all sorts of gubbins and lob that into hives as "treatment" because everything else is buying into the global Bayer conspiracy or something.

    As my colonies increase I'm also starting to cast one eye on that big bucket of Apiguard you can get and wondering if there are alternatives generally, hence the original post, it's very easy to do stuff because that's what you've always done and it seems to work without ever wondering if there's a better/more efficient way to do something.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Belfast, N. Ireland
    Posts
    5,122
    Blog Entries
    94

    Default

    Hi neil
    I buy that big bucket every year - 3k
    It costs about £85 and will treat about 40 colonies.
    the old man and myself generally have 35 + colonies between us in September so we split it between us.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    I'm in that in between stage at the moment where buying trays is getting expensive but the bucket doesn't quite make sense yet.

  5. #15

    Default spreadsheet

    Might not be too clear its a screenshot

  6. #16

    Default the results of the treatments

    Nellie
    here's a stacked bar graph of the varroa drop the treatments achieved the legend is a separate jpg the files are very small might not work
    Attached Images Attached Images

  7. #17

    Default this is the results from 2 cycles of oxalic

    Screenshot.jpg

    hopefully you will be able to make out the effects of 2 cycles of oxalic using the evaporator sold by Thornes

    Problem for me is I use Open Office not Microsoft exel , word etc and the permitted file size for attachments is so tight could email them to you Nellie if you want a readable copy--otherwise get the magnifying glass out.

    Its fairly clear that Oxalic in winter is the way to go but its best to do some treatment elsewhere in the year to make sur the winter bees are tip top in the first instance.
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 23-06-2011 at 03:21 PM.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    Cheers for those DR, much appreciated. On a phone at the moment so I'll have another look at them when I get home.

  9. #19

    Default

    Nellie
    Just to give the costings of the thymol solution 500g thymol £16-85, Surgical spirit 500ml costs £2-75 x2 = £5.50
    total £23-35
    That makes up about 1.6ltr
    Each hive needs 2 treatments @ 40ml per treatment = 80ml per season
    So you have enough to treat 20 hives for £23.35
    That's about half the price of the apiguard
    The solution will keep indefinitely in the surgical spirit bottles

  10. #20
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    Well, we're going to give the DIY thymol recipe a go and see how we get on with it.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •