Mike, good honest video! I think every Beek is going to have a colony that reaps with mites at sometime. You just can’t extinguish every mite bomb before it explodes. I hope you and your wife are doing good!
Always some fun and excitement in Mike's Bee yards. LOL That was good you checked them before they became a mite bomb and got robbed out. Thanks for sharing and have a good week.
Good morning Mike mug up from central NH where the hills are on fire with fall colors. We have had several widespread frosts at this point although the hilltops have only seen light frost. Bees are still finding some pollen on late asters. The bees have limited flight time they have each day...maybe 3 or 4 hours, when the temps are above 50 F. Had some colony loss due to mites... Getting a vaporizer for next season, I hope. Thanks for sharing, take care, Brice
I just started another round of OAV treatments last week. I try to hit them every 3 days. In one of my latest videos I found some drone brood on some wonky comb and took it out. Got back to the house and went through them and had several mites. I have also forgotten about a swarm trap before. By the time I checked on it beetles had taken it over. What a mess.
Golden rod is past where I am, but my area has a ton of witch hazel which blooms oct-nov in my area and my bees are coming in gang busters with that. Normally it blooms too late for the bees, but this year we're having a bit of an Indian summer right now and the bees are loving it.
Hello Mike I am in the same boat you are in mites . All my checks were looking pretty good BUT it was October 5 I was going to do another round of checks an my count’s JUMPED like a Rabbit. Most of my big colonies were in the hundreds after having them way down to the numbers I was ok with them going into winter but I glad I did that one last inspection or check. So I am on my fourth or fifth OA treatment now . I think it was three or four years ago the same thing happened but that one was on Sept first. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️. Have a great week THANKS
I feel ya. I use Apiguard here in the piedmont of NC and had heard about the 35ml dose (3x) every 10 days from Bob Binnie and Greg Rogers last year. Did that last year and this year and seem to work knocking down 80% of my colonies to 0-2 at most. Couple I had to hit one more time to get there. Finished late August and this year I am using Varroxsan for 56 days (per package) to try to keep them low going into November/December when I will hit a couple times with OA. Taking the Varroxsan out this week and will be doing mite counts to see where I am. fingers crossed!
I have 2 swarms that have been in the swarm traps for 2 years. I just use them for resources and they have been happy with it for 2 years. Maybe this spring I will place them in a a 10 frame box. They could have had a late swarm or queen replacement. Look great bet they make it through the winter and be a big box of bees in the spring.
Yess. It’s definitely doable. The results aren’t as accurate with sugar shakes, but you bring up a valid option for a small swarm this late. And it would give me some idea for sure. I’m always curious about bees from swarm traps and cutouts as far as mites. For these bees, they have to be feral since there are literally zero beekeepers or managed colonies for a long way. So it would be neat to know.
Something was definitely wrong with that larvae since they were pulling it. Maybe mites in the cell, or possibly a sick larvae, or any type of deficiency. A hygienic bee will clean out bad larvae. Could be a number of things. It didn't concern me in this case since it wasn't happening but in two cells that I saw. Thanks for the question and for watching!!
Mitey Mikey.. can that pass in American language ? I would took an hour and cook me some oxalic glycerin strips to keep in all the time and vaporize. Those are big numbers.. we cage queens even now to get a brood break this time of year.. if needed. (Look 'Stupar- Imker') he has some easy made cages for winter and he won't let them out for some months. His are Buckfast bred for mites resistance so he always has varroa in and uses the cages on those he will change in spring. You need something fast.. there will be a lot of varroa in the brood
I’m on it already and I agree, the brood is probably loaded. I’m thinking of re-dosing the apiguard on this hive alone. Maybe even the 25 count hive. OAE is definitely in my future.
If it was here I would surely suggest to put formic.. but I don't like those big pads that you guys buy over there. They are too big too strong. What we use here.. for years and it works is a sponge in a thick plastic bag with a hole cut on top and 60% strong formic.. 50 -70 ml (milliliter) added with a syringe. Put that on top of the hive.. no other ventilation than the entrance and a bit of rim or max a shallow to make a chamber under the top. I keep the formic in a freezer and usually pass every 5 days before night to add a new 60ml dose on the sponge.. usually 3- 4 times in 20 days. That was my main treatment before oxalic arrived... I think there's no other way.. there has to be a brood stop, and you have to kill the mites on the open... and the queens will have to lay later in the year. They will come out small in spring.. that's a shame, but your spring is long... I don't know what's that line over... it's telling me I'm writing this stuff too long 🤣
@@researcherAmateur I actually thought about Formic and what one beekeeper does and has great success is uses half dose twice on the pads. With the right temps, he has very little queen loss. But I don’t have any and it’s so restrictive down here that ordering a box would be a waste. The apiguard will shut the queen down, and that’s ok at this point the more I think about it. It saturates the wax and hive for a while before dissipating, so a correct does would help a lot. Just blasting them with OAV now, every 5 days four times.
Pay to look at bigger trap ie box few here have. No frames seem to be the go. Box 50 ins square x16 ins deep set on 75mm x 75 mm rhs. Tell ya what they can fill it fast starter strip's up top entrance button left side 8 ins to center one lug fitted to bottom center with stainless bolt entrance side front is hinged swarm bait old melted wax plus starter strip's 400 mm or 16 ins long.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. Most use easy 600ml of melted wax use roller on back of trap.😂.
Appreciate the honesty most won't tell the whole story
We are all raising mites! Glad to hear you are knocking em down. Good luck with that swarm!
Hope your fall forage is as good as ours.
It’s too good. Hives are too heavy. Smelling strong and gathering good pollen. Have a good one!
Mike, good honest video! I think every Beek is going to have a colony that reaps with mites at sometime. You just can’t extinguish every mite bomb before it explodes. I hope you and your wife are doing good!
"Oriented" Thank you!
Always some fun and excitement in Mike's Bee yards. LOL That was good you checked them before they became a mite bomb and got robbed out. Thanks for sharing and have a good week.
Its a bummer the swarm didn't build out and grow like you was hoping. Not going to spoil the end, but that's a pretty cool find and a welcomed sight!
Thanks for sharing Mike. Hope all goes good for you.
Good morning Mike mug up from central NH where the hills are on fire with fall colors. We have had several widespread frosts at this point although the hilltops have only seen light frost. Bees are still finding some pollen on late asters. The bees have limited flight time they have each day...maybe 3 or 4 hours, when the temps are above 50 F. Had some colony loss due to mites... Getting a vaporizer for next season, I hope. Thanks for sharing, take care, Brice
I just started another round of OAV treatments last week. I try to hit them every 3 days. In one of my latest videos I found some drone brood on some wonky comb and took it out. Got back to the house and went through them and had several mites. I have also forgotten about a swarm trap before. By the time I checked on it beetles had taken it over. What a mess.
All in all great video. Sometimes our best stuff is off camera.
Golden rod is past where I am, but my area has a ton of witch hazel which blooms oct-nov in my area and my bees are coming in gang busters with that. Normally it blooms too late for the bees, but this year we're having a bit of an Indian summer right now and the bees are loving it.
Hi Mike, oh I remember this trap.
nice swarm!! looks pretty dang healthy!
Hello Mike
I am in the same boat you are in mites . All my checks were looking pretty good BUT it was October 5 I was going to do another round of checks an my count’s JUMPED like a Rabbit. Most of my big colonies were in the hundreds after having them way down to the numbers I was ok with them going into winter but I glad I did that one last inspection or check. So I am on my fourth or fifth OA treatment now . I think it was three or four years ago
the same thing happened but that one was on Sept first. 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️. Have a great week THANKS
I feel ya. I use Apiguard here in the piedmont of NC and had heard about the 35ml dose (3x) every 10 days from Bob Binnie and Greg Rogers last year. Did that last year and this year and seem to work knocking down 80% of my colonies to 0-2 at most. Couple I had to hit one more time to get there. Finished late August and this year I am using Varroxsan for 56 days (per package) to try to keep them low going into November/December when I will hit a couple times with OA. Taking the Varroxsan out this week and will be doing mite counts to see where I am. fingers crossed!
Much greener there than East Tennessee
Borax plus apple juice
I have 2 swarms that have been in the swarm traps for 2 years. I just use them for resources and they have been happy with it for 2 years. Maybe this spring I will place them in a a 10 frame box. They could have had a late swarm or queen replacement. Look great bet they make it through the winter and be a big box of bees in the spring.
I do the same thing with apiguard. I also hit them with OA 5 times for every 5 days. I do OA 3 times a year.
Mike can you do a powdered sugar Mite check on that swarm?
Yess. It’s definitely doable. The results aren’t as accurate with sugar shakes, but you bring up a valid option for a small swarm this late. And it would give me some idea for sure. I’m always curious about bees from swarm traps and cutouts as far as mites. For these bees, they have to be feral since there are literally zero beekeepers or managed colonies for a long way. So it would be neat to know.
12mm plywood material 12 x24 sheets cheaper pays again to check auction's. 😂 big save that if one clicks the material right time right place.😂.
If they are pulling out larvae, then there is something wrong with the hive? Decease?
Something was definitely wrong with that larvae since they were pulling it. Maybe mites in the cell, or possibly a sick larvae, or any type of deficiency. A hygienic bee will clean out bad larvae. Could be a number of things. It didn't concern me in this case since it wasn't happening but in two cells that I saw. Thanks for the question and for watching!!
Mitey Mikey.. can that pass in American language ?
I would took an hour and cook me some oxalic glycerin strips to keep in all the time and vaporize. Those are big numbers.. we cage queens even now to get a brood break this time of year.. if needed. (Look 'Stupar- Imker') he has some easy made cages for winter and he won't let them out for some months. His are Buckfast bred for mites resistance so he always has varroa in and uses the cages on those he will change in spring.
You need something fast.. there will be a lot of varroa in the brood
I’m on it already and I agree, the brood is probably loaded. I’m thinking of re-dosing the apiguard on this hive alone. Maybe even the 25 count hive. OAE is definitely in my future.
If it was here I would surely suggest to put formic.. but I don't like those big pads that you guys buy over there. They are too big too strong.
What we use here.. for years and it works is a sponge in a thick plastic bag with a hole cut on top and 60% strong formic.. 50 -70 ml (milliliter) added with a syringe. Put that on top of the hive.. no other ventilation than the entrance and a bit of rim or max a shallow to make a chamber under the top. I keep the formic in a freezer and usually pass every 5 days before night to add a new 60ml dose on the sponge.. usually 3- 4 times in 20 days. That was my main treatment before oxalic arrived...
I think there's no other way.. there has to be a brood stop, and you have to kill the mites on the open... and the queens will have to lay later in the year. They will come out small in spring.. that's a shame, but your spring is long...
I don't know what's that line over... it's telling me I'm writing this stuff too long 🤣
@@researcherAmateur I actually thought about Formic and what one beekeeper does and has great success is uses half dose twice on the pads. With the right temps, he has very little queen loss. But I don’t have any and it’s so restrictive down here that ordering a box would be a waste. The apiguard will shut the queen down, and that’s ok at this point the more I think about it. It saturates the wax and hive for a while before dissipating, so a correct does would help a lot. Just blasting them with OAV now, every 5 days four times.
Pay to look at bigger trap ie box few here have. No frames seem to be the go. Box 50 ins square x16 ins deep set on 75mm x 75 mm rhs. Tell ya what they can fill it fast starter strip's up top entrance button left side 8 ins to center one lug fitted to bottom center with stainless bolt entrance side front is hinged swarm bait old melted wax plus starter strip's 400 mm or 16 ins long.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉. Most use easy 600ml of melted wax use roller on back of trap.😂.