What month do you treat Varroa mites?

As an example, if beekeepers want to control Varroa mites in their colonies by 31 August when the first Winter bees are emerging as adults in the prairie provinces, then miticide treatments should be applied before 17 August; that is the date when worker larvae are being sealed into their cells that will emerge as ...

What time of year do you treat for varroa mites?

Many beekeepers like to treat the mites in August and then again in the dead of winter when little capped brood is present. A second treatment in winter may be especially important in very strong colonies that robbed other colonies in the fall. Robbers often attack a weak colony that is dying.

How many times a year should you treat bees for mites?

Some like to treat when they find one mite per 100 bees, others like to wait for 2 or 3 per hundred. In short, I think every three months, beginning when you first receive your bees, is a good place to start.

When should you get first mite treatment?

As soon as the bees show queen acceptance and have settled into their new home—usually within five days or so—conduct that first mite test using the method of your choice. If mite counts suggest the need for treatment, apply at this time before any brood is capped to ensure only phoretic mites are present.

Should I treat for varroa mites in the spring?

Without a doubt your bees need a good dose of Varroa Mite treatment in mid winter as well as in early to mid spring. Although in mid winter you're limited to doing a 'blind' treatment (no count) because it'd be a bad idea to open up the hive, the early to mid spring time period is a little different.

Varroa Mite Treatment Results

Can you treat for varroa mites in winter?

Winter time is an fantastic time to destroy 100% of your Varroa Mites during the broodless period. If the Varroa Mites can't hide in the sealed brood cells, then they are left exposed and defenseless to an OAV treatment.

When should I start feeding my bees in the spring?

Is October too late to treat bees for mites?

NO, it's not too late! You can treat you bees in emergence any time the year, as long as the temperatures a few degrees above freezing.

When should you treat bees in the spring?

Apiguard works best when temps are in the low 60's up to 100 degrees. Another treatment beekeepers report works well is oxalic acid, using either the vaporization or dribble method. Treatments with oxalic acid are applied when temperatures are above 50 degrees and the bees are active.

Can you treat for mites in November?

November and December are good OAV treatment months because even if some brood is present, it will be a small amount, meaning not many varroa mites will be present under the caps.

What is the best varroa mite treatment?

The most popular essential oil for varroa mite control is thymol (from a thyme plant). While thymol treatment can effectively control mites on adult bees, it cannot penetrate the cell cappings, so does not control mites in brood cells. Efficacy of thymol is dependent on colony strength as well as ambient conditions.

What happens if you leave honey supers on during Apivar treatment?

What is your source? APIVAR will leave residue in honey if the supers are applied during, or too soon after treatment.

Can I treat for mites with honey supers on?

Of the three products, formic acid (available commercially as Formic Pro) is the summer mainstay because it has two important features: It can be used when honey supers are in place and it kills varroa mites under brood cappings, meaning all of the varroa in the hive are vulnerable to it.

When should you medicate bees?

In the late Summer treat before mites cause damage to brood that will become Winter bee stock. Leave pads in until Spring for reuse. In the Spring treat before extensive brood build up, when you are reversing hives or preparing for pollination.

Can I use Apivar in the spring?

Apivar can be used year-round to treat Varroa mites. Apply the strips for one treatment in the spring and/or one treatment in the fall.

How often should you check for Varroa mites?

Plan to monitor for mites at least once each month during the bee season. You may want to check more frequently in late summer, when risk is higher. If you have fewer than 8 hives, or want hive specific data, test them all. If you want to know the risk of the yard, check at least 8 hives.

Can I use Apivar in October?

Has anyone used this? Amitraz is the active ingredient in both Apitraz and Apivar, can be used at any time of year no temperature constraints (supers must not be on the hives). Strips are left in for between 6 and 10 weeks depending on the size of the colony and the time of year.

What temperature kills varroa mites?

If we expose the mite to the temperature of 40°C (104°F) to 47°C (116.6°F) for around 150 minutes, the mite is killed. That is valid for all the development stages of the Varroa destructor mite.

Can I use Apiguard in October?

A: Apiguard is best applied in summer or autumn, outside the period of honey flow. The external temperature should be above approximately 15°C (60°F), which means that the colony is active.

When should you stop feeding bees sugar water in the spring?

Congratulations on getting your first bees. It is the adventure of a lifetime. Once daytime temperatures drop below 57 degrees stop feeding liquid syrup and switch to a solid sugar board.

When should you start feeding sugar syrup to bees?

Check your existing hives in the very early spring to see if they have enough honey. If they don't, you can start them on syrup if it's warm enough for them to break cluster and feed on it. Otherwise, you might want to use a candy board until the weather gets warmer.

When should I give my bees 2 1 sugar syrup?

For late winter or early spring feeding, make a 1:1 syrup using 1 pound of water (2 cups) to 1 pound of sugar. If feeding in the fall (if not enough honey was left on the hive after the honey flow), make a 2:1 syrup using 2 pounds of sugar per pound of water.

When should I treat my bees with oxalic acid?

They treat once in the Winter when colonies are naturally broodless, and once again in the late Summer after inducing an artificial state of broodlessness by caging their queens for 21 days.

Can you use oxalic acid in winter?

Oxalic acid works best on broodless colonies:

This is why oxalic acid had always been the preferred treatment for the winter season (between November and January), if you notice a mite infestation going up the recommended thresholds.

How often should you treat bees with oxalic acid?

A common approach is to treat again 6 days later and then again another 6 days after that. Some beekeepers prefer a 5 day period but we're getting a little subjective at that point (another beekeeper debate topic right there!).