NZBF Varoa/Oxalic Clarification

[Josh 376]

Hello everyone, I've maxed out my beekiness today.

 

I've done a sugar shake test 13mites/300ish bees gives me 4% level in my new, and only, hive.

 

I've done my first oxalic acid vaporisation ¼ teaspoon (1g) for my only brood box, as per kiwimana, and went well. Best I've ever done infact...

 

I'm going to re-treat every 5-7 days for the next 3 treatments and retest my mite count after that (fingers crossed).

 

It's amazing that despite this method being "mainstream" for the many years now, and well ahead of Europe's dribble method, that there is still a bit of variation in advice. I suspect it's a classic example of shining the cat & everyone does it slightly differently with the end result. Bee Culture recently recommended 2.25g/treatment/FD bloodless box, that's almost double most of the others. But it was single treatment of bloodless hive. Kiwimana recommends ¼ teaspoon per hive, others 1g (same as ¼ teaspoon) per FD brood box (assuming most "typical hives" have 1 or 2 FD boxes for brood. Scientific beekeeping hasn't really done anything on it yet, as it wasn't approved for the US when he wrote his things.

 

I get why this technique isn't necessarily commercially viable, it's a bit time consuming, but it must be a good thing for everyone if hobbyists minimise resistance by choosing these sorts of techniques and only use strips for rescue. So it would be nice if some concrete advice on how to could be found.

 

Also, in NZ, what do people consider acceptable levels of mite? 1%, 2% or some other figure?

 

Thanks

[yesbut 5842]

Do you have a copy of "Practical Beekeeping In NZ" ?? It's one of the bibles

[Kiwifruiter 594]

Get a copy of varroa control in NewZealand by @Mark Goodwin. I think it covers it well. Those mite numbers sound a little high.. And if you had a number of vaporisers I don't think it would be that commercially non viable, obviously strips are faster but when (well if) they stop working with current technology I think this will be the go to... However time will tell....

[Peter Sharpe 140]

Do you have a copy of "Practical Beekeeping In NZ" ?? It's one of the bibles

It says very little about oxalic acid vapourisers.

[Josh 376]

Do you have a copy of "Practical Beekeeping In NZ" ?? It's one of the bibles

 

Yep, and read it cover to cover. But I don't recall sugar shake or vaporisers. I'll look at it again though.

[yesbut 5842]

I should have said the Control of Varroa job, Goodwin/Taylor.

[Josh 376]

I should have said the Control of Varroa job, Goodwin/Taylor.

 

Yeah, I read that and I'm using the ether roll thresholds as a guide till I find something better. I still find it weird that such a bee friendly and convenient test (sugar shake) doesn't have more robust guidelines.

 

And the varoa treatment with oxalic vaporisation ranges from single 1g dose to 2.25g dose depending on what you read.

 

Nice thing is the varoa treatment is "on tap" and can be applied when ever the mite counts are rising.

[P K Tan 1630]

I should have said the Control of Varroa job, Goodwin/Taylor.

Getting slack. Not picking up on the bloodless either.

[Barbarian 69]

A Different Country .... A Different Regime

 

I use

varroa floors 12/12

OA dribble at a Winter broodless time

Apiguard (thymol) in Spring to early Summer

Powdered sugar in Summer

If things dodgy then MAQS (formic acid) in late Summer.

 

When varroa first appeared our treatment was synthetic pyrethroids (Apistan and Bayvarol). Pyrethroid-resistant varroa spread and we had unexpected and sudden colony deaths.

[Josh 376]

I'm still looking for the answer.

 

Timing seems to be well published and researched. Weekly is clearly the answer, and you would want to be guided by counts as to how effective it its.

 

But dose remains the mystery. I have read/been told anywhere from 1g/FD brood box (aka ¼tsp) to 2.25g/hive (aka ½ tsp, but no definition of what a "hive" is).

 

Bee culture and others have looked at bloodless treatments but not the weekly strategy. Presumably because they are comparing to oxalic dribble.

 

I'm going to start using OA in conjunction with MAQS, but I need to wait for my colonies to get big enough.

 

After my dismal first winter, I'm keen to get this right.

 

Can anyone direct me to to some clarification? Or tell me what OA strategy they're using.

 

(Yes I've read the varoa control book, and NZ bee keeping books)

 

OxaVap.com – Oxalic Acid Vaporizers :: OxaVap – Your Source for Oxalic Acid Vaporizers

 

and

 

Sublimation | Bee Culture

 

are the best two references I found, but are not very consistent.

[yesbut 5842]

Re work your budget & use MAQS & stop worrying

[Philbee 4671]

Ive done plenty (more than 1000) of OA treatments and always considered that high doses are better than under treating.

Ive never had an obvious bad reaction to 3 grams per hive whether 1,2 or 3 boxes on.

Whats more important than dose (2gm min) is frequency of treatments.

Its a knock down so needs to be continually applied as brood emerges

[Josh 376]

Re work your budget & use MAQS & stop worrying

 

MAQS is for boxes with 6 frames of brood. Not quite there yet, but will as soon as they are.

 

I'll be co-oping a box with other club members hopefully. A 25 treatment box will expire with only two hives.

 

Ive done plenty (more than 1000) of OA treatments and always considered that high doses are better than under treating.

Ive never had an obvious bad reaction to 3 grams per hive whether 1,2 or 3 boxes on.

Whats more important than dose (2gm min) is frequency of treatments.

Its a knock down so needs to be continually applied as brood emerges

 

Thanks @Philbee

[yesbut 5842]

MAQS is for boxes with 6 frames of brood. Not quite there yet, but will as soon as they are.

Not quite, it's a vapour/volume treatment

[Trevor Gillbanks 6509]

I use 3gr per 2 box hive. I have not had a problem using 2gr in a 5 frame NUC

[Rob Stockley 3414]

I fill the Venom Pro to level every time regardless of hive size. On the rare occasion I don't see vapour coming out the entrance I give them a second dose.

[Mummzie 577]

Can anyone say where or from which supplier can MAQS currently be purchased in small quantities?

[Josh 376]

Can anyone say where or from which supplier can MAQS currently be purchased in small quantities?

 

As discussed elsewhere, Ecrotek has the 25 box, but no longer the 10.

 

I'm going to try & split a box (& cost) within the ChCh club

[M4tt 4925]

Can anyone say where or from which supplier can MAQS currently be purchased in small quantities?

Post another 2 posts and you'll be able to put a wanted ad here in ' tradebee'. Someone may be able to help with a part pack

[yesbut 5842]

Whereabouts in Tasman are you @Mummzie ??

[Mummzie 577]

The shopping mecca of Motueka.....