Drought

[Stoney 1,584]

23 minutes ago, fieldbee said:

Last year we sold some hives that were treated with staples, the other beek rejected some and a few of their comments were they looked as though they were over treated.  We are running 2 high brood in full depth boxes.  At the end of the season treated according to brood numbers. 1 staple over every 2nd frame of brood.  Have been very happy how they have come through the winter.  Still learning but like ox staples.

That’s pretty much how I run them also.. however I do prefer them in spring and summer during The buildup phase. Interesting to see yesterday at a shaded site up in the bush wet boxes yet staples were dry. Def not a wintering site but had no choice due to injury.. poor girls did it tough. 

[Alastair 8,627]

1 hour ago, fieldbee said:

Last year we sold some hives that were treated with staples, the other beek rejected some and a few of their comments were they looked as though they were over treated.  We are running 2 high brood in full depth boxes.  At the end of the season treated according to brood numbers. 1 staple over every 2nd frame of brood.  Have been very happy how they have come through the winter.  Still learning but like ox staples.

 

If going into winter and a hive had 3 frames of brood, would one staple over the middle frame do the job?

[ChrisM 1,277]

38 minutes ago, Alastair said:

If going into winter and a hive had 3 frames of brood, would one staple over the middle frame do the job?

Is that a late season Nuc with a newly mated queen in end of April or is that in February when doing autumn treatment of the whole operation? My decision would be based on context..

 

I think if they are looking a bit small/sick/weak without much time left before winter that there is a lot to be said for apistan being fast and effective. However if the queen has hit the ground running and with enough time that it looks like it will be 5 frames before next round, then I would be inclined to use 2 OAG tapes but spaced apart and both on the middle frame. Once the outside frames are populated then I would move tapes around in next round (over each second frame).

[Alastair 8,627]

Good info Chris. I was thinking of a normal hive, reducing it's population for winter, and currently with 3 frames of brood.

[john berry 5,636]

I have never treated over winter. I do get the odd yard with a bit of varoa damage in the spring but the vast majority come through fine.

[fieldbee 255]

23 hours ago, Maggie James said:

What have your weather patterns been over winter?

Mild till now, long dry spells and warm

[fieldbee 255]

22 hours ago, Alastair said:

 

If going into winter and a hive had 3 frames of brood, would one staple over the middle frame do the job?

This is where we have to be careful how we give advice.  

So going into winter - with you scenario.

Firstly all my treatments were in by the end of the first week of march so they were started in Feb

3 frames of brood nearly packed down with 3/4 box bees  equal 2 staples, (as long as brood only on the 3 frames and in one box.

But 3 frames worth of brood stretched over 5-6 frames and maybe 1 and a half boxes bees could easily have 3-4 staples.

 

i walked away from the hives at lock down.  Got rid of last staff (no money left to keep paying over winter)  so hives sat there from end of march.  did some weight checks on a couple of sites staff had fed and not been happy with.  (they got a late flow).

1/3 hives had staples  other 2/3 had apistan (staff wouldnt/couldnt use staples (got infected sinus and days off)

 

Have done all staple sites and a few Apistan sites  both hubby and I happy with what we are seeing.  (hubby been sick the last 2 years and only just getting back into work...yay.

 

So as we are going around and removing the staples and putting more in are pulling out a total of 2-6 staples per hive with the odd 7 and not many had 2. I dont find 2 and think oh no pmp/varroa I am finding good treatment calls.

 

Dead outs are about 3 starved, 6 drone layers, 6 corrorapa (which I am happy with as I didnt do our autumn preventative schedule, and a couple of those were marked weak so no surprises).  have done about 250 so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alastair 8,627]

Thanks Fieldbee that's a very thorough explanation.

 

Guess the only other thing I should ask is did you make the OA/GL mix yourself, or get them pre mixed?

[Stoney 1,584]

We do have to be careful when giving advice  that’s for real.. this is still an experimental treatment with no exact instructions or black and white right or wrong. 
there seems to be so many variables from colony strength, mixing strengths, mixing techniques and temps, OX delivery substrates, forage areas etc along with a seemingly visible line in the sand of OX happy or OX not happy beekeepers. 
“How to”advice from one beekeeper is often not replicated for another beekeeper.. 

as a beekeeper asking for advice I’d say self experience of the treatment on your sites and conditions is the best way forward to gain a grasp on the how-why-what. 
To the beekeepers giving the  advice I’d Say be aware that a bad experience could bite you on the backside. 
just my 2 cents. 
anyway.. Drought.. got a teeny bit of rain here today, geared up for some shifting as the sky cleared. Man it sure is dry once you scratch the topsoil away. 

[Mummzie 736]

Amazing how every thread lately has turned into valuable information about Oa/Gl.

A pity it cant all end up in one of the threads about it 

In a few months who would choose to read the thread about Drought to add to their knowledge

 

Re the drought- I currently need a boat to get to some of my hives (surface  flooding). Wonderful needed rain.

[fieldbee 255]

On 21/08/2020 at 5:25 PM, Alastair said:

Thanks Fieldbee that's a very thorough explanation.

 

Guess the only other thing I should ask is did you make the OA/GL mix yourself, or get them pre mixed?

At the moment I have paid Phil to mix mine, due to the fact

We have been down sizing on staff and cant do everything ourselves.

 but do believe that as we have to keep cost cutting I will need to end up learning to do my own thereby saving more money and maybe even 1 day make my own strips.  

However Phil provides a very good service,

[yesbut 6,230]

1 hour ago, fieldbee said:

However Phil provides a very good service,

I sometimes wonder if Phil could return with the understanding that an OA embargo applied to all parties.

Assuming he felt like it of course, There's always room for different opinions,  humour...

[Alastair 8,627]

An OA embargo? OA was about the only thing he talked about, once he started selling it.

 

However he was not booted for whatever happened on the forum, but for threats against the owner. That's going to be hard to sweep under the rug.

[Alastair 8,627]

Also about an OA embargo, bad plan. Of recent times there has been excellent and more balanced info coming out about OA, with freedom of speech and no aggro. 

 

The community contributions on the subject have been of great help to myself and no doubt others, why embargo it.

[yesbut 6,230]

23 minutes ago, Alastair said:

Also about an OA embargo, bad plan. Of recent times there has been excellent and more balanced info coming out about OA, with freedom of speech and no aggro. 

 

The community contributions on the subject have been of great help to myself and no doubt others, why embargo it.

I was meaning no discussion with Phil involvement. Academic anyway.

[Alastair 8,627]

Well we've had quite a drenching here the last few days, I was thinking my nice new muddies might be going to waste, but now I'm worrying about access to some of the sites again!

[Gino de Graaf 1,030]

3 hours ago, Alastair said:

Well we've had quite a drenching here the last few days, I was thinking my nice new muddies might be going to waste, but now I'm worrying about access to some of the sites again!

Funny. I was the same. New chunkies and nothing to chunk. 

Not now..

[john berry 5,636]

It's still only mildly damp here which is great for getting around but I would like to see a bit more rain.

It's probably saving itself up for when the willows get going properly.

Saturday was one of the most glorious early spring days you can imagine with temperatures in the early 20s and not a breath of wind.

[Stoney 1,584]

9 hours ago, Alastair said:

An OA embargo? OA was about the only thing he talked about, once he started selling it 

To be fair Phil was, and is, committed to killing mites using Ox/GL, the history is all there to see in the OX thread.. it’s not unusual for creative people to become almost obsessed with projects or subjects and I recon his obsession with improving the oxalic delivery method was openly talked about well before he started selling it. 
Whatever happened outside the forum is a shame and also is history.. but the discussion here and theories haven’t really been the same since. 

[Stoney 1,584]

Just now, Stoney said:

To be fair Phil was, and is, committed to killing mites using Ox/GL, the history is all there to see in the OX thread.. it’s not unusual for creative people to become almost obsessed with projects or subjects and I recon his obsession with improving the oxalic delivery method was openly talked about well before he started selling it. 
Whatever happened outside the forum is a shame and also is history.. but the discussion here and theories haven’t really been the same since. 

Edit to add.. still really dry here, 3mm of rain last week the soil is dry to touch, Monday Tuesday hopefully see a decent amount but at this stage things are looking desperately dry 

[ChrisM 1,277]

From Bob McDavitt, La Nina looking increasingly likely:

 

quote: The chance of La Niña forming in 2020 is around 70%— roughly three times the average likelihood....  All international climate models surveyed suggest the tropical Pacific Ocean will cool further, with three of the eight models reaching La Niña thresholds in September, and two more in October.

 

For New Zealand this is likely to first bring ... dry spells during the Spring, but it may encourage NE winds and wet spells in Northland during summer.

[kaihoka 2,975]

11 hours ago, Stoney said:

Edit to add.. still really dry here, 3mm of rain last week the soil is dry to touch, Monday Tuesday hopefully see a decent amount but at this stage things are looking desperately dry 

Do you want some rain , we have had plenty .

Feel free to redirect the weather systems any time you want .

[CHCHPaul 473]

On 18/08/2020 at 7:40 PM, jamesc said:

Quite dry here too. The lake to the right ‘should’ be full...

Just walking out of 13 Mile eh? Great spot. 

[StephenP 49]

On 17/08/2020 at 8:31 AM, john berry said:

Forget long-range forecasts. They are extremely unreliable and only indicate general trends.

The only really accurate one comes from NIWA and they can be relied upon to be 100% wrong. My father has also pretty good at getting it completely wrong but he's not quite as accurate.

Would Herman be more accurate?

A hot summer is on the way, according to Herman the Tortoise | Stuff.co.nz https://i.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/122572331/a-hot-summer-is-on-the-way-according-to-herman-the-tortoise