Hey man, just wanted to say…you are a big part of why I am the beekeeper I am today. I watched ALL of your videos when I first got into beekeeping. I love that you talking about the science behind everything and WHY things are the way they are. I’m a science nerd too so I definitely appreciate all of this knowledge you’ve shared. ♥️
Thanks, Gordon. We are doing great! It's getting warmer up here as it is pretty much everywhere, and I'm really excited for our first spring in the UP.
It's been recommended to me that an OA sublimation during the broodless time of the year, plus monthly mite checks as well as mite away strips after the honey flow would mostly cover all the bases...🐝
OAV in March coming out of winter when brood is zero or very low. Brood breaks in early May and July. OAV in late summer/early fall. Sometimes another round in late November or over winter if it's warm enough that they aren't so tightly cluster. Wash rinse repeat. So far so good. A new twist is I'm hearing we can OAV with supers on. I think I'm still trying to avoid that at this time. Great video and info as usual Brett, thank you.
Your plan sounds like a good one. And I agree on the OA with supers thing. That's great, it will help a lot of people, but I certainly am not going to make an effort to be blasting OA at that time, it just makes more sense to try to work around the dead of summer.
Brett, great video and information. You covered so much. One other period of time where OAV is effective is when a split is broodless waiting for the new queen to get mated and laying. As far as nucs go, I would really avoid Formic and use Apivar. Some new studies are coming out showing the interval between OAV should be 3-4 days and repeated 5 to 6 times to cover a full brood cycle. (That could be a lot of time at a busy time of the year.) And of course most people now know that you can use OA with the supers on but this is when we have a lot of brood. Have a great day Brett and thanks for the video. No mite control is a dead hive sooner or later.
Thanks, Russell! Agreed on avoiding formic on the nucs. To be honest I don't know why I mentioned it like it was a possibility, I've never put a formic strip on a nuc, or anything that was less than 8 or so frames. So I agree wholeheartedly there. Thanks for the news on the OA spacing. Yeah I guess that would make sense, more frequent and closer blasts would make sure you were getting every mite as they were walking out of the cells. Sounds like a lot of work as you said, lol. The OA news is awesome, being able to treat with supers, but, like you said, that is by definition the least effective time to be treating, so, I don't think it'll change my schedule too much. Thanks for the kind and helpful comment!
Loads of info here. I started with Apivar, went to Formic, and now use OA. I'm going to use a varied approach this year and go OA in Spring and Fall, Apivar inbetween.
I bought some full frame queen cages from New Zealand, and do the brood break method during the honey flow. I only use OA now, no more Apivar, or Formic acid. You also get more honey production this way.
Sounds good .. glad they finally figured out oav can be done without a board , but I think the habit is going to stick with me for a while .. I think I like the idea of the brood chamber getting the full dose
Bret the EPA just changed the rules for OA. You can now use it with the supers of honey on. Tennessee bee's had it on there videos. Was on February twenty something .
The dilemma I have is I am seeing mite load of 4 so I am boarder line of having to treat….. Since I live in California, I can only get MAQS and I can’t use them because of the temperatures are above 85 for the next foreseeable future. What are your recommendations in for situations like this? Thanks in advance
Hmm... that is tough, I'd certainly get some MAQS and be prepared for when the temps fall... Otherwise you could try to implement a brood break. Without the ability to go to another chemical I think in reality you're just going to have to wait until the end of August or beginning of September to hit them with formic. Test afterward, treat again if necessary.
Really good video. Thanks very much. I remember reading somewhere that Palmer (not sure if it was the same Palmer or not) or someone in the 90s claimed fogging had a fire hazard. That sort of worried me enough to not want to do it.
Thank you, Sandra! I actually had the opportunity to use one of those devices a few years ago and had mixed results. Firstly, it was inconvenient because none of my yards are conveniently near power outlets, and the use of the device was difficult in that sense. Secondly, I got a mixed mite drop across the four hives I used it on. Lastly, knowing what I know about the development of larvae and the amount of energy the bees put in to the effort of keeping the brood area at a very specific temperature, I don't like the idea of cranking up the heat. It's destructive to wax and troubling to the young larvae, and creates a lot of chaos inside the hive. So, I don't think I recommend the mighty mite device, although as I always say, if you want to use it, go for it! Just make sure you wash your bees once per month to make sure your efforts are working.
I haven't been down into the lower peninsula to check on them since October. I have word from one land owner that 7 of 8 hives in his yard were flying, but that's the only news I have. We'll be headed down in a few weeks to start grabbing bees, I'll know a lot more then.
You may mention this later. Efficacy of mite treatments can vary widely depending on the type of application, skill of the application, and factors like temperature and amount of brood. Therefore it is very useful to do a follow up count about a week after your treatment. I got jammed up for time last fall and did not have time to sample after my last treatment. I lost a couple of hives because I am sure my treatment in those hives was ineffective.
This is a good addition. I definitely should have mentioned this as an option. My advice in this video sort of gives you the ability to see if your late summer treatment was effective, because if you follow my advice you'd be testing again in September, but yeah, testing to make sure your treatments were effective is a great idea. I think every year something goes wrong in one way or another, during one round of treatment or another. This last year I missed almost a whole yard in August, thinking my wife had dropped strips on. It wasn't until I came back to pull the strips off later on that month that I realized none of those hives had been treated. A post treatment mite wash in that case would probably have been quite alarming.
This is a good addition. I definitely should have mentioned this as an option. My advice in this video sort of gives you the ability to see if your late summer treatment was effective, because if you follow my advice you'd be testing again in September, but yeah, testing to make sure your treatments were effective is a great idea. I think every year something goes wrong in one way or another, during one round of treatment or another. This last year I missed almost a whole yard in August, thinking my wife had dropped strips on. It wasn't until I came back to pull the strips off later on that month that I realized none of those hives had been treated. A post treatment mite wash in that case would probably have been quite alarming.
Where are you located? I've only been into prospecting for about a year, it's been at least 3 months since I've dug any dirt at all so I'm itching to get back to the rivers.
Great Info Brett....my assessment.......... “Overwhelming is correct”....I know it’s necessary ...very necessary...but if I were a newbe....I’d freeze up....and the results would be a lot of dead outs each winter from mites.... Oh by the way....I never did get my “Mini Vaporizer” to work....the crank handle froze up and would never create wind turban effect....
Thumbs up on another helpful video. I had to chuckle when I heard people were putting poisonous rhubarb leaves in the hive, thinking they were a chemical free mite treatment. Do they wear aluminum foil hats as PPE?
I really like your practical information. It's really helpful for me as a new beekeeper. I have one hive which I successfully overwintered. I'm getting 2 packages and a nuc later this spring. Do you recommend doing some kind of mite treatment on the new bees as they come into my yard? With the packages, I'm thinking of doing a single OA treatment at about day 8 or so, since they'll have time to settle in, but there won't be any capped brood yet. I'm a little less sure about what to do with the nuc, since they come already broody. Any advice?
Mark, I put one Apivar strip in nucs when I get them and when I make them up as splits. Really cleans them up good without any disruption to their growth.
Mark, firstly good luck with your overwintered bees, those are going to be your most prized bees this year so don't forget about them during this mite stuff. I wouldn't recommend blasting the package right away, I mean you can, it's an effective time to use OA, but they aren't likely to be riddled with mites so I think I'd give them a month before washing them to see where they're at. As far as the nuc, I'd set them and wash them in the same way, hoping that they would fit in line with the rest of my bees so I could put them on the normal schedule, where they'd get one formic strip in may/june and another full treatment with two strips in August and OA in November. If they had something that looked concerning in terms of mite load, since I don't use Apivar, I'd just hit them with a full staggered OA blast, 3 separate times 6 days apart. Bruce has a good idea too though, you could definitely give them an apivar strip right away, I don't see anything wrong with that.
How many day's would I have to lock the queen up to get the most out of a brood break? Thanks for all your videos, I have learned so much in the last few years from you. Keep up the good work and go have some fun with your bees.
The idea in a brood break is to keep her locked up for a full brood cycle, so about 3 weeks. If you do that, you'll be left with a totally broodless hive, getting the full effect on the mites.
Assuming you're within temperature and ventilation requirements, do you have the most success with Formic Pro 2 pads for 14 days or one pad at a time for a total of 20 days? Do you find an increase in losing colonies to robbing due to removing the entrance reducer?
I like the full aggressive treatment in the late summer, so I go with two strips on at once as soon as the honey supers are off in mid August. If the colony is smaller than I'd like then I might stick with just one strip, but if they have enough bees I hit everything with two, it's a quick and effective method if there ever was one. I don't mess around with entrance reducers too much anymore to be honest, I think I broke most of mine to use them as spacers for feeder buckets. So, I would recommend you not worry so much as to whether they have an entrance reducer or not. Try not to entice or enable robbing on your smaller colonies and make sure they're in an adequately sized hive, and they'll be fine.
Hi. I am a beekeeper from Turkey. I subscribed to your channel and watch your videos. Thank for sharing theese informative videos with us. I use formic and OA in my apiary. What do you think about the best season and temperature intervals for formic acid? I use OA only in winter because there is no ( or minimum) brude. Can I use OA in early spring ( like you 3 times and 6 days interval)? Is it harmful for queen or bees?
Using OA in the spring is a great idea. I think hitting them in the fall and spring with OA is great, and formic for right after you pull your honey supers, if temperatures allow. Yeah if your colonies are brooded up it's a good idea to give them 3 blasts, 6 days apart.
Using OA in the spring is a great idea. I think hitting them in the fall and spring with OA is great, and formic for right after you pull your honey supers, if temperatures allow. Yeah if your colonies are brooded up it's a good idea to give them 3 blasts, 6 days apart.
I was curious what your thoughts on sublimation devices using flame such as the gasvap? I assume your VM uses flame but I have heard concerns about the crystals overheating and rendering them ineffective. I recently purchased a gasvap and I am hoping it will be effective because it is definitely convenient! Hope you have a great season!
It does take some getting used to, figuring out how hot it should be, but even if you're burning some, the stuff is so cheap it really doesn't bother me. I think the VM vaporizer was one of the best beekeeping purchases I've made.
Where I work my boss melts the drone combs, so he kills some mites and gets wax. He also does not buy a brood frame, he just puts an empty frame and the bees drawn automatically drone combs.
Great video, so you could use oxalic acid during honey flow if you completely removed and replaced after all fumes dissipate, although short of shaking all bees into brood box they would be missed along with foragers. What’s your thought yay or nay thanks.
So, while I was editing this video, the EPA issued an exemption for OA use with honey supers in place. I'm not jumping straight into the practice, but, I will be keeping an eye on the rulings and law between now and this upcoming honey season and if things turn out as they look like they will, I think I'll be using OA quite a lot more. The actual science in that case is that OA vapor does not contaminate honey, so if the law says it's okay, I plan on using it if necessary. If, before this EPA stuff gets fully figured out, you need to treat with OA and have supers on, I'd just set them off to the side with the bees in them for a while. I wouldn't expect there to be all that many mites on the bees in the supers, and they aren't likely to stay put when you shake 'em down like you'd want them to, so I think I'd just forget 'em and set the honey box aside, putting it back on after an hour or so.
Thanks for reply, duuh I actually heard what you mentioned about changing regulations from Kaymon Reynolds in Tennessee, have been researching vaporizers via propane, the only ones could find on eBay were from Ukrainian and not similar to yours. It had a hopper on top guessing that’s were crystals go. Thanks again for information about removing honey super. So oxalic acid won’t hurt eggs or larvae ? As I like to use vero strips end august( thanks for suggesting this in one of your videos) to try to minimize mites infecting winter bees. I see some use oxalic acid late fall, my thought is, that’s great but would not most of winter bees possibly be more apt to be infected with viruses. Thanks so much for info I’m down to 25 hives from 60 it’s just a hobby so have been giving lots of colony’s away to downsize. Just helping other newbees. Great site and watching you for quite a while
hello,,, i noticed you didnt mention the fogging with mineral oil, have you tried this way or not ever used it,, what is your thoughts using mineral oil in fogger,, i hear once a week in every hive will greatly reduce mites counts over all,, as a new bee keeper myself i value different ideas,, but i personally have learned much from you n your videos, so thank you for any advise with your take on this,,,
I don't have a lot of faith in it, but to be honest I haven't tried it or really looked into the matter much at all. As a beginner, honestly, I think I have to recommend using an approved miticide like formic or oxalic. Whatever you do, make sure you test, and you'll be fine.
I have 1 box . Just bought 2 weeks ago or 11 days ago. They are not building wax and there are eggs but not too much .it's my first ever hive What to do. I want to requeen it but I have only I hive and no bee keepers near by . No nearby association. Show I capture the queen . That they will make a new queen . Please answer
No, I'd suggest feeding them. Give them some thin syrup until they've built up a good nest. It's a tough thing, requeening a new hive when they aren't fully established.
So I went looking in response to this comment and found out that they stopped production of the mini model because people were having trouble with the fan... I love mine so that's pretty disappointing. Either way, they have a "turbo" model, but that one is $2,500. Here's the link to their website, however: vmvaporizer.com/ I think the next best option is the Provap, but I have no experience with it.
Yes you can use them during times like that. A major point of my and a lot of other beek's IPM plans is cold weather OA sublimation. I hit mine in November and again in March.
Hi Bret this was released on Monday by Randy Oliver via email. I don't know if you get notices from Scientific Beekeeping -----> ( Randy Oliver ) I've received a lot of questions regarding the notice from the Federal Register that oxalic acid has been exempted from tolerance in honey. Beekeepers are asking me what this means. The following is a direct quote from my contact at EPA (who checked with the Regulation Division): "The exemption from tolerance was issued under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). EPA was able to meet the requirements stipulated under the FFDCA to exempt oxalic acid from tolerances; however, the chemical still has to be applied as a registered product under FIFRA. The whole exemption was to support the use when the supers are on; EPA is finishing up the amended label to allow for use of the registered oxalic acid product year-round. If the beekeepers don’t use a registered product, they would be applying an unregistered pesticide and would be subject to enforcement under FIFRA." The above is great news -- that EPA is in the process of amending the label for application even if honey supers are on! That said, this announcement does not mean that there's yet been any change to the label -- it won't be legal to apply OA for mite treatment with honey supers on (or even during the summer) until the label has been changed, and even then, one would still need to only use OA registered for that specific use (with a label from EPA on the container). Currently, I believe that Api Bioxal is the only registered product in the U.S. Allow me to address a recent between-the-lines suggestion on another forum that beekeepers could act as scofflaws, by claiming that their "intent" for applying OA was not for mite control, that they might technically be able to avoid prosecution for illegal application of a listed pesticide (once any chemical is listed as a pesticide, it puts it into a new category, and OA is in that category). This detail came up last year when I was on the phone with the person in charge of Pesticide Research Authorizations for California. I was discussing my research, and mentioned that I was doing titrations to track the distribution of OA within the hive. He/she said, that's not covered by your PRA! I responded that it didn't need to be, since I wasn't doing those specific applications for varroa control (which would have been considered as pesticide applications), but rather only to track how the chemical distributed upon the bees in the hive. Similarly, there is no law against using OA as a wood bleach on hive components. But if one's intent was to apply it to the colony in order to kill mites, then that would then be considered as an application of a listed pesticide, and would therefore be illegal. So yes, what's in your thought bubble could make the difference between being prosecuted or not. I've yet to hear of a test case. Please keep this in mind. If we beekeepers feel that we can be pesticide scofflaws, how could we then demand that farmers follow the label to protect our bees? The EPA is well aware of this dichotomy. That's why I'm trying to work with USDA and EPA to add the extended-release application method to the label, and for our industry to register an inexpensive source of OA for us to use. If our industry were willing to put the effort and money into it, it would be a win all around -- effective, safe, and non contaminating varroa control, inexpensive and legal. I suggest that we put pressure on AHPA and ABF to do so.
I became aware of this while I was editing this video. I decided not to amend the video and plan on coming out with one to announce this news very soon!
Good overview of treatments against varroa, but this is not IPM. IPM relies heavily on prevention and resilience, only after that on treatment. Contact me if you want to know more.
You can get those at any beekeeping supply store. Here's a link for the one I like at Dadant, you can get the exact same thing almost anywhere else, Amazon included: www.dadant.com/catalog/varroa-easy-check-m014908?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhP2BBhDdARIsAJEzXlGYLbArAttoQc35bAwhTnEtr_Lt4BSAwxCgBldQxedYeb8u4rzc49MaAmrHEALw_wcB
First, I must say that I only use Formic Acid and Oxalic Acid for Varroa treatment. But here is some papers on powder suger treatment: scientificbeekeeping.com/powdered-sugar-dusting-sweet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/ core.ac.uk/download/pdf/17237341.pdf There are some more papers on it, but that is a start.
Thanks Daniel! Yeah this is the only real rebuttal that I know of to my powdered sugar argument. Anything from Randy Oliver is considered gold over here, so I appreciate the input.
Hey man, just wanted to say…you are a big part of why I am the beekeeper I am today. I watched ALL of your videos when I first got into beekeeping. I love that you talking about the science behind everything and WHY things are the way they are. I’m a science nerd too so I definitely appreciate all of this knowledge you’ve shared. ♥️
Best Video on mite control that i have heard!! Easy to understand. Thank You
Thank you!
Thanks Bret, it’s great to have you back! We pray that you and Katie are doing well these days!
Hope you are enjoying the north Ya!
Thanks, Gordon. We are doing great! It's getting warmer up here as it is pretty much everywhere, and I'm really excited for our first spring in the UP.
Thank you for confirming my regimen! What you talked about is what my treatment plan is for this year. Great video!
Thank you Betty! Good luck this year.
@@BKBees Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. It is very much appreciated. Your videos are by far the best, IMHO. Plus you are in my climate zone!
It's been recommended to me that an OA sublimation during the broodless time of the year, plus monthly mite checks as well as mite away strips after the honey flow would mostly cover all the bases...🐝
I think that's a good plan. Just check that load after the late summer treatment and I think you'll be fine.
OAV in March coming out of winter when brood is zero or very low. Brood breaks in early May and July. OAV in late summer/early fall. Sometimes another round in late November or over winter if it's warm enough that they aren't so tightly cluster. Wash rinse repeat. So far so good. A new twist is I'm hearing we can OAV with supers on. I think I'm still trying to avoid that at this time.
Great video and info as usual Brett, thank you.
Your plan sounds like a good one. And I agree on the OA with supers thing. That's great, it will help a lot of people, but I certainly am not going to make an effort to be blasting OA at that time, it just makes more sense to try to work around the dead of summer.
Brett, great video and information. You covered so much. One other period of time where OAV is effective is when a split is broodless waiting for the new queen to get mated and laying.
As far as nucs go, I would really avoid Formic and use Apivar.
Some new studies are coming out showing the interval between OAV should be 3-4 days and repeated 5 to 6 times to cover a full brood cycle. (That could be a lot of time at a busy time of the year.)
And of course most people now know that you can use OA with the supers on but this is when we have a lot of brood.
Have a great day Brett and thanks for the video. No mite control is a dead hive sooner or later.
Thanks, Russell!
Agreed on avoiding formic on the nucs. To be honest I don't know why I mentioned it like it was a possibility, I've never put a formic strip on a nuc, or anything that was less than 8 or so frames. So I agree wholeheartedly there.
Thanks for the news on the OA spacing. Yeah I guess that would make sense, more frequent and closer blasts would make sure you were getting every mite as they were walking out of the cells. Sounds like a lot of work as you said, lol.
The OA news is awesome, being able to treat with supers, but, like you said, that is by definition the least effective time to be treating, so, I don't think it'll change my schedule too much.
Thanks for the kind and helpful comment!
Loads of info here. I started with Apivar, went to Formic, and now use OA. I'm going to use a varied approach this year and go OA in Spring and Fall, Apivar inbetween.
Sounds like a good plan.
I bought some full frame queen cages from New Zealand, and do the brood break method during the honey flow. I only use OA now, no more Apivar, or Formic acid. You also get more honey production this way.
Sounds good .. glad they finally figured out oav can be done without a board , but I think the habit is going to stick with me for a while .. I think I like the idea of the brood chamber getting the full dose
Bret the EPA just changed the rules for OA. You can now use it with the supers of honey on. Tennessee bee's had it on there videos. Was on February twenty something .
I read that news as I was editing this video, lol. I'm as excited as you are, and I plan a video on that here really soon.
Great video!! Very good information !! Thank You !!
Thank you for the kind comment, Dale!
The dilemma I have is I am seeing mite load of 4 so I am boarder line of having to treat….. Since I live in California, I can only get MAQS and I can’t use them because of the temperatures are above 85 for the next foreseeable future. What are your recommendations in for situations like this? Thanks in advance
Hmm... that is tough, I'd certainly get some MAQS and be prepared for when the temps fall... Otherwise you could try to implement a brood break. Without the ability to go to another chemical I think in reality you're just going to have to wait until the end of August or beginning of September to hit them with formic. Test afterward, treat again if necessary.
Really good video. Thanks very much.
I remember reading somewhere that Palmer (not sure if it was the same Palmer or not) or someone in the 90s claimed fogging had a fire hazard. That sort of worried me enough to not want to do it.
Yeah, I think it's odd that more people aren't talking about that. It's definitely a hazard.
You are dynamic and your enthusiasm is contagious. Wonder if you have an opinion about thermal treatment. (Mighty Might)
Thank you, Sandra!
I actually had the opportunity to use one of those devices a few years ago and had mixed results. Firstly, it was inconvenient because none of my yards are conveniently near power outlets, and the use of the device was difficult in that sense. Secondly, I got a mixed mite drop across the four hives I used it on. Lastly, knowing what I know about the development of larvae and the amount of energy the bees put in to the effort of keeping the brood area at a very specific temperature, I don't like the idea of cranking up the heat. It's destructive to wax and troubling to the young larvae, and creates a lot of chaos inside the hive.
So, I don't think I recommend the mighty mite device, although as I always say, if you want to use it, go for it! Just make sure you wash your bees once per month to make sure your efforts are working.
How did your bees do this winter
I haven't been down into the lower peninsula to check on them since October. I have word from one land owner that 7 of 8 hives in his yard were flying, but that's the only news I have. We'll be headed down in a few weeks to start grabbing bees, I'll know a lot more then.
Great video Brett!
Thanks brotha!
You may mention this later. Efficacy of mite treatments can vary widely depending on the type of application, skill of the application, and factors like temperature and amount of brood. Therefore it is very useful to do a follow up count about a week after your treatment. I got jammed up for time last fall and did not have time to sample after my last treatment. I lost a couple of hives because I am sure my treatment in those hives was ineffective.
This is a good addition. I definitely should have mentioned this as an option. My advice in this video sort of gives you the ability to see if your late summer treatment was effective, because if you follow my advice you'd be testing again in September, but yeah, testing to make sure your treatments were effective is a great idea.
I think every year something goes wrong in one way or another, during one round of treatment or another. This last year I missed almost a whole yard in August, thinking my wife had dropped strips on. It wasn't until I came back to pull the strips off later on that month that I realized none of those hives had been treated. A post treatment mite wash in that case would probably have been quite alarming.
This is a good addition. I definitely should have mentioned this as an option. My advice in this video sort of gives you the ability to see if your late summer treatment was effective, because if you follow my advice you'd be testing again in September, but yeah, testing to make sure your treatments were effective is a great idea.
I think every year something goes wrong in one way or another, during one round of treatment or another. This last year I missed almost a whole yard in August, thinking my wife had dropped strips on. It wasn't until I came back to pull the strips off later on that month that I realized none of those hives had been treated. A post treatment mite wash in that case would probably have been quite alarming.
Another fantastic and very informative video!!!! 2 questions... is that a gold pan behind you and is that a map of the yupper on the wall??😁🏴☠️🏴☠️
Thank you. Yes and yes. Gold prospecting is another thing I'm into. It was one of the small reasons why we moved to the UP.
Where are you located? I've only been into prospecting for about a year, it's been at least 3 months since I've dug any dirt at all so I'm itching to get back to the rivers.
Great Info Brett....my assessment..........
“Overwhelming is correct”....I know it’s necessary ...very necessary...but if I were a newbe....I’d freeze up....and the results would be a lot of dead outs each winter from mites....
Oh by the way....I never did get my “Mini Vaporizer” to work....the crank handle froze up and would never create wind turban effect....
That's too bad about the vaporizer, mine works like a dream.
Thumbs up on another helpful video. I had to chuckle when I heard people were putting poisonous rhubarb leaves in the hive, thinking they were a chemical free mite treatment. Do they wear aluminum foil hats as PPE?
lol, yes, I think they do.
I really like your practical information. It's really helpful for me as a new beekeeper.
I have one hive which I successfully overwintered. I'm getting 2 packages and a nuc later this spring. Do you recommend doing some kind of mite treatment on the new bees as they come into my yard? With the packages, I'm thinking of doing a single OA treatment at about day 8 or so, since they'll have time to settle in, but there won't be any capped brood yet. I'm a little less sure about what to do with the nuc, since they come already broody. Any advice?
Mark, I put one Apivar strip in nucs when I get them and when I make them up as splits. Really cleans them up good without any disruption to their growth.
Mark, firstly good luck with your overwintered bees, those are going to be your most prized bees this year so don't forget about them during this mite stuff.
I wouldn't recommend blasting the package right away, I mean you can, it's an effective time to use OA, but they aren't likely to be riddled with mites so I think I'd give them a month before washing them to see where they're at.
As far as the nuc, I'd set them and wash them in the same way, hoping that they would fit in line with the rest of my bees so I could put them on the normal schedule, where they'd get one formic strip in may/june and another full treatment with two strips in August and OA in November. If they had something that looked concerning in terms of mite load, since I don't use Apivar, I'd just hit them with a full staggered OA blast, 3 separate times 6 days apart.
Bruce has a good idea too though, you could definitely give them an apivar strip right away, I don't see anything wrong with that.
@@BKBees - Thanks!
How many day's would I have to lock the queen up to get the most out of a brood break? Thanks for all your videos, I have learned so much in the last few years from you. Keep up the good work and go have some fun with your bees.
The idea in a brood break is to keep her locked up for a full brood cycle, so about 3 weeks. If you do that, you'll be left with a totally broodless hive, getting the full effect on the mites.
Thanks for the answer, and would it be a good idea to do an oa treatment the day you release the queen or within 8 days?
love the video... great info....
Assuming you're within temperature and ventilation requirements, do you have the most success with Formic Pro 2 pads for 14 days or one pad at a time for a total of 20 days?
Do you find an increase in losing colonies to robbing due to removing the entrance reducer?
I like the full aggressive treatment in the late summer, so I go with two strips on at once as soon as the honey supers are off in mid August. If the colony is smaller than I'd like then I might stick with just one strip, but if they have enough bees I hit everything with two, it's a quick and effective method if there ever was one.
I don't mess around with entrance reducers too much anymore to be honest, I think I broke most of mine to use them as spacers for feeder buckets. So, I would recommend you not worry so much as to whether they have an entrance reducer or not. Try not to entice or enable robbing on your smaller colonies and make sure they're in an adequately sized hive, and they'll be fine.
@@BKBees Good deal, many thanks for your reply and all the info on your channel.
It be nice if you could increase your volume. Thank you for sharing
I hear ya. Wait, that was a bad way to respond here, lol. I acknowledge the issue, and actually have a lapel mic ready for the next video. Thanks.
@@BKBees great to know you hear me . Thank you for the information you share
Hi. I am a beekeeper from Turkey. I subscribed to your channel and watch your videos. Thank for sharing theese informative videos with us. I use formic and OA in my apiary. What do you think about the best season and temperature intervals for formic acid? I use OA only in winter because there is no ( or minimum) brude. Can I use OA in early spring ( like you 3 times and 6 days interval)? Is it harmful for queen or bees?
Using OA in the spring is a great idea. I think hitting them in the fall and spring with OA is great, and formic for right after you pull your honey supers, if temperatures allow.
Yeah if your colonies are brooded up it's a good idea to give them 3 blasts, 6 days apart.
Using OA in the spring is a great idea. I think hitting them in the fall and spring with OA is great, and formic for right after you pull your honey supers, if temperatures allow.
Yeah if your colonies are brooded up it's a good idea to give them 3 blasts, 6 days apart.
I was curious what your thoughts on sublimation devices using flame such as the gasvap? I assume your VM uses flame but I have heard concerns about the crystals overheating and rendering them ineffective. I recently purchased a gasvap and I am hoping it will be effective because it is definitely convenient! Hope you have a great season!
It does take some getting used to, figuring out how hot it should be, but even if you're burning some, the stuff is so cheap it really doesn't bother me. I think the VM vaporizer was one of the best beekeeping purchases I've made.
Where I work my boss melts the drone combs, so he kills some mites and gets wax. He also does not buy a brood frame, he just puts an empty frame and the bees drawn automatically drone combs.
Yeah, most of the time extra space in the brood area will get filled with drones. We just don't give the bees enough drone space for their liking.
Great video, so you could use oxalic acid during honey flow if you completely removed and replaced after all fumes dissipate, although short of shaking all bees into brood box they would be missed along with foragers. What’s your thought yay or nay thanks.
So, while I was editing this video, the EPA issued an exemption for OA use with honey supers in place. I'm not jumping straight into the practice, but, I will be keeping an eye on the rulings and law between now and this upcoming honey season and if things turn out as they look like they will, I think I'll be using OA quite a lot more. The actual science in that case is that OA vapor does not contaminate honey, so if the law says it's okay, I plan on using it if necessary.
If, before this EPA stuff gets fully figured out, you need to treat with OA and have supers on, I'd just set them off to the side with the bees in them for a while. I wouldn't expect there to be all that many mites on the bees in the supers, and they aren't likely to stay put when you shake 'em down like you'd want them to, so I think I'd just forget 'em and set the honey box aside, putting it back on after an hour or so.
Thanks for reply, duuh I actually heard what you mentioned about changing regulations from Kaymon Reynolds in Tennessee, have been researching vaporizers via propane, the only ones could find on eBay were from Ukrainian and not similar to yours. It had a hopper on top guessing that’s were crystals go. Thanks again for information about removing honey super. So oxalic acid won’t hurt eggs or larvae ? As I like to use vero strips end august( thanks for suggesting this in one of your videos) to try to minimize mites infecting winter bees. I see some use oxalic acid late fall, my thought is, that’s great but would not most of winter bees possibly be more apt to be infected with viruses. Thanks so much for info I’m down to 25 hives from 60 it’s just a hobby so have been giving lots of colony’s away to downsize. Just helping other newbees. Great site and watching you for quite a while
hello,,, i noticed you didnt mention the fogging with mineral oil, have you tried this way or not ever used it,, what is your thoughts using mineral oil in fogger,, i hear once a week in every hive will greatly reduce mites counts over all,, as a new bee keeper myself i value different ideas,, but i personally have learned much from you n your videos, so thank you for any advise with your take on this,,,
I don't have a lot of faith in it, but to be honest I haven't tried it or really looked into the matter much at all. As a beginner, honestly, I think I have to recommend using an approved miticide like formic or oxalic. Whatever you do, make sure you test, and you'll be fine.
@@BKBees yes sir,, thank you
I have 1 box . Just bought 2 weeks ago or 11 days ago. They are not building wax and there are eggs but not too much .it's my first ever hive What to do. I want to requeen it but I have only I hive and no bee keepers near by . No nearby association. Show I capture the queen . That they will make a new queen . Please answer
No, I'd suggest feeding them. Give them some thin syrup until they've built up a good nest. It's a tough thing, requeening a new hive when they aren't fully established.
Do you have a link to the OA Vaporizer you use?
So I went looking in response to this comment and found out that they stopped production of the mini model because people were having trouble with the fan... I love mine so that's pretty disappointing. Either way, they have a "turbo" model, but that one is $2,500.
Here's the link to their website, however: vmvaporizer.com/
I think the next best option is the Provap, but I have no experience with it.
Can you treat with OA on a cool day when the bees ain't flying
Better to use when they are flying
Yes you can use them during times like that. A major point of my and a lot of other beek's IPM plans is cold weather OA sublimation. I hit mine in November and again in March.
Great video. Luckily we haven’t occurred this demon mite yet
Hi Bret this was released on Monday by Randy Oliver via email. I don't know if you get notices from Scientific Beekeeping -----> ( Randy Oliver )
I've received a lot of questions regarding the notice from the Federal Register that oxalic acid has been exempted from tolerance in honey. Beekeepers are asking me what this means.
The following is a direct quote from my contact at EPA (who checked with the Regulation Division):
"The exemption from tolerance was issued under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). EPA was able to meet the requirements stipulated under the FFDCA to exempt oxalic acid from tolerances; however, the chemical still has to be applied as a registered product under FIFRA. The whole exemption was to support the use when the supers are on; EPA is finishing up the amended label to allow for use of the registered oxalic acid product year-round. If the beekeepers don’t use a registered product, they would be applying an unregistered pesticide and would be subject to enforcement under FIFRA."
The above is great news -- that EPA is in the process of amending the label for application even if honey supers are on!
That said, this announcement does not mean that there's yet been any change to the label -- it won't be legal to apply OA for mite treatment with honey supers on (or even during the summer) until the label has been changed, and even then, one would still need to only use OA registered for that specific use (with a label from EPA on the container). Currently, I believe that Api Bioxal is the only registered product in the U.S.
Allow me to address a recent between-the-lines suggestion on another forum that beekeepers could act as scofflaws, by claiming that their "intent" for applying OA was not for mite control, that they might technically be able to avoid prosecution for illegal application of a listed pesticide (once any chemical is listed as a pesticide, it puts it into a new category, and OA is in that category).
This detail came up last year when I was on the phone with the person in charge of Pesticide Research Authorizations for California. I was discussing my research, and mentioned that I was doing titrations to track the distribution of OA within the hive. He/she said, that's not covered by your PRA! I responded that it didn't need to be, since I wasn't doing those specific applications for varroa control (which would have been considered as pesticide applications), but rather only to track how the chemical distributed upon the bees in the hive.
Similarly, there is no law against using OA as a wood bleach on hive components. But if one's intent was to apply it to the colony in order to kill mites, then that would then be considered as an application of a listed pesticide, and would therefore be illegal. So yes, what's in your thought bubble could make the difference between being prosecuted or not. I've yet to hear of a test case.
Please keep this in mind. If we beekeepers feel that we can be pesticide scofflaws, how could we then demand that farmers follow the label to protect our bees? The EPA is well aware of this dichotomy. That's why I'm trying to work with USDA and EPA to add the extended-release application method to the label, and for our industry to register an inexpensive source of OA for us to use. If our industry were willing to put the effort and money into it, it would be a win all around -- effective, safe, and non contaminating varroa control, inexpensive and legal. I suggest that we put pressure on AHPA and ABF to do so.
I became aware of this while I was editing this video. I decided not to amend the video and plan on coming out with one to announce this news very soon!
@@BKBees cool ok
Good overview of treatments against varroa, but this is not IPM. IPM relies heavily on prevention and resilience, only after that on treatment. Contact me if you want to know more.
Where can I buy the alcohol wash cane
You can get those at any beekeeping supply store. Here's a link for the one I like at Dadant, you can get the exact same thing almost anywhere else, Amazon included:
www.dadant.com/catalog/varroa-easy-check-m014908?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhP2BBhDdARIsAJEzXlGYLbArAttoQc35bAwhTnEtr_Lt4BSAwxCgBldQxedYeb8u4rzc49MaAmrHEALw_wcB
if the overall assumption is there are always going to be mites..... why not just treat routinely instead of doing a wash all of the time
You can do that. At least do a wash at the end of the year though, to make sure the treatments were effective.
First, I must say that I only use Formic Acid and Oxalic Acid for Varroa treatment. But here is some papers on powder suger treatment:
scientificbeekeeping.com/powdered-sugar-dusting-sweet-and-safe-but-does-it-really-work-part-1/
core.ac.uk/download/pdf/17237341.pdf
There are some more papers on it, but that is a start.
Thanks Daniel! Yeah this is the only real rebuttal that I know of to my powdered sugar argument. Anything from Randy Oliver is considered gold over here, so I appreciate the input.