Treating for Varroa Mites
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has a list of approved states under their Oxalic Acid page. It can be found here;
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Oxalic-Acid/productinfo/727/
Justifying the price of OA From Brushy Mountain.
I was not all that happy with the PRICE of OA that they sell, and sent them an EMail, which received a more or less generic response, which I was unhappy with, so replied with more detailed questions that were less happily phrased... This is the reply;
Good day,
I am reaching out in regards to your questions about OA.
I believe you previous questions were not fully answered and I would like to address those.
First off, thank you for taking the time to investigate this product.
1. You sell OA for hives, and my question is, what is different about the OA that you sell, and the 99.6% pure OA I have always used in the past? Is your OA 100% Pure?
2. Who has the right to say what is legal for use in Bee Hives, Or in other worlds, who has the right to slap a label on a bag of OA and SAY it is legal?
3. I am not trying to come down on you in any way, I am just a little confused as to what makes the OA you sell worth 18.00 as opposed to the $3.20 per pound 99.6% pure OA
1. I can only attest to the information the EPA has provided and say that the 'Wood Bleach' purchased at retail stores does not have the purity of what we sell. This is not to say that what we provide is above the 99.6% purity but rather a tested, EPA certified product with no harmful additives. It is unclear what the remaining .4% in Wood Bleach truly is.
2. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has the right to 'slap a label on a bag of OA'. We have worked with experts in the industry, corresponded with the USDA and EPA, paid all registration fees and have followed all procedures in order to have OA available for use in a bee colony. We did the leg work so that beekeepers can legally treat with OA.
- Please note that the use of OA is not registered in all states. This can be a long process and each state have specific requirements.
3. To be honest, we have not made a profit off the sales of Oxalic Acid. We went through the process to have this product registered to legally be used on honey bees in order to help the beekeeping industry. Again, we have paid the expenses of registering this product in each state and with the EPA/USDA.
We appreciate you investigating into the use of OA rather than continuing use of said "illegal" substances. It is evident that anyone can purchase and use raw ingredients, whether it be Thymol, Amitraz, Formic Acid, or OA. No one can prevent this from happening but please note that the only registered, legal package of OA used for bee colonies is sold by Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.
I hope this has answered your questions. Please let me know if you have further concerns.
Thanks
Daniel Roath
Assistant Manager
That answered most of the questions, if not the purity of the OA that they sell.. I am searching for documents or other information that detail their Involvement, and will link them here if and when I find them..
I am once again back in Brushy Mountains court. Knowing what their efforts were, and the expenses they paid does justify the cost of their OA in an attempt to recoup their losses on our behalf.
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Oxalic-Acid/productinfo/727/
Justifying the price of OA From Brushy Mountain.
I was not all that happy with the PRICE of OA that they sell, and sent them an EMail, which received a more or less generic response, which I was unhappy with, so replied with more detailed questions that were less happily phrased... This is the reply;
Good day,
I am reaching out in regards to your questions about OA.
I believe you previous questions were not fully answered and I would like to address those.
First off, thank you for taking the time to investigate this product.
1. You sell OA for hives, and my question is, what is different about the OA that you sell, and the 99.6% pure OA I have always used in the past? Is your OA 100% Pure?
2. Who has the right to say what is legal for use in Bee Hives, Or in other worlds, who has the right to slap a label on a bag of OA and SAY it is legal?
3. I am not trying to come down on you in any way, I am just a little confused as to what makes the OA you sell worth 18.00 as opposed to the $3.20 per pound 99.6% pure OA
1. I can only attest to the information the EPA has provided and say that the 'Wood Bleach' purchased at retail stores does not have the purity of what we sell. This is not to say that what we provide is above the 99.6% purity but rather a tested, EPA certified product with no harmful additives. It is unclear what the remaining .4% in Wood Bleach truly is.
2. Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has the right to 'slap a label on a bag of OA'. We have worked with experts in the industry, corresponded with the USDA and EPA, paid all registration fees and have followed all procedures in order to have OA available for use in a bee colony. We did the leg work so that beekeepers can legally treat with OA.
- Please note that the use of OA is not registered in all states. This can be a long process and each state have specific requirements.
3. To be honest, we have not made a profit off the sales of Oxalic Acid. We went through the process to have this product registered to legally be used on honey bees in order to help the beekeeping industry. Again, we have paid the expenses of registering this product in each state and with the EPA/USDA.
We appreciate you investigating into the use of OA rather than continuing use of said "illegal" substances. It is evident that anyone can purchase and use raw ingredients, whether it be Thymol, Amitraz, Formic Acid, or OA. No one can prevent this from happening but please note that the only registered, legal package of OA used for bee colonies is sold by Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.
I hope this has answered your questions. Please let me know if you have further concerns.
Thanks
Daniel Roath
Assistant Manager
That answered most of the questions, if not the purity of the OA that they sell.. I am searching for documents or other information that detail their Involvement, and will link them here if and when I find them..
I am once again back in Brushy Mountains court. Knowing what their efforts were, and the expenses they paid does justify the cost of their OA in an attempt to recoup their losses on our behalf.
http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2015-0043-0119
Many methods of treating mites are detrimental to the bees and hive as a whole. Some treatments cause the queen to stop laying.. sometimes for a week or so, other times permanently. Other treatments mean you have sterilized your drones. Most treatments cause your bees to beard heavily in an attempt to get away from the smell, and most treatments will be adding something toxic to your wax combs that will come back to haunt you at a later date.
How do you avoid all of that?
What is the SIMPLE method for treating that a new beekeeper can manage, even with all the conflicting information and massive AMOUNT of information they are trying to understand and absorb?
Oxalic Acid Vapor..
Treat in early spring and late summer... done!
I highly recommend learning how to do a mite count, through an either roll, sugar shake or sticky board, but OAV makes it not completely necessary when getting started.
It cant be over applied, (if using common sense) does not harm the bees or add anything toxic to the wax in the hives. It can be considered "natural" since it is an organic substance.
OAV has been my method of choice for control of Varroa since the very first time I used it. Make no mistake, it WORKS...
The use of Hopguard or any other chemical in the hive, is likely to be a lot harder on your bees and brood, PLUS it is usually a lot more expensive;
I cannot speak for Apistan, check mite etc.. But Hopguard at the time of this writing is about thirty five dollars for 50 strips. Treating one double deep hive three times in a row uses 12 strips. to treat 20 hives I need 240 strips, or a little less than five packages of Hopguard. Thats 175 Dollars for a single three step treatment.
Instead, as soon as it is convenient for me to get into the hives in the spring, I treat with Oxalic Acid Vapor. One application has proven to be very effective.
Many methods of treating mites are detrimental to the bees and hive as a whole. Some treatments cause the queen to stop laying.. sometimes for a week or so, other times permanently. Other treatments mean you have sterilized your drones. Most treatments cause your bees to beard heavily in an attempt to get away from the smell, and most treatments will be adding something toxic to your wax combs that will come back to haunt you at a later date.
How do you avoid all of that?
What is the SIMPLE method for treating that a new beekeeper can manage, even with all the conflicting information and massive AMOUNT of information they are trying to understand and absorb?
Oxalic Acid Vapor..
Treat in early spring and late summer... done!
I highly recommend learning how to do a mite count, through an either roll, sugar shake or sticky board, but OAV makes it not completely necessary when getting started.
It cant be over applied, (if using common sense) does not harm the bees or add anything toxic to the wax in the hives. It can be considered "natural" since it is an organic substance.
OAV has been my method of choice for control of Varroa since the very first time I used it. Make no mistake, it WORKS...
The use of Hopguard or any other chemical in the hive, is likely to be a lot harder on your bees and brood, PLUS it is usually a lot more expensive;
I cannot speak for Apistan, check mite etc.. But Hopguard at the time of this writing is about thirty five dollars for 50 strips. Treating one double deep hive three times in a row uses 12 strips. to treat 20 hives I need 240 strips, or a little less than five packages of Hopguard. Thats 175 Dollars for a single three step treatment.
Instead, as soon as it is convenient for me to get into the hives in the spring, I treat with Oxalic Acid Vapor. One application has proven to be very effective.
When fall arrives, I again treat with the vaporizer. I do this in late August, and (maybe) again once in October if necessary. (It has not been necessary yet) The idea is to knock down the mites on the bees who will be caring for the bees that will go into winter, and then to make sure there is a low mite count on the bees that DO go into winter.
Oxalic acid is less than ten dollars for two pounds. It takes 2 grams to treat a double deep hive.
1 Pound = 453.59237 Grams. Two pounds is over 900 grams. over 450 treatments for less than $10.00, and it can be used repeatedly with no side effects. In fact, Honey naturally has Oxalic acid in it already.
OxaVap has some really good reading about Oxalic acid treatments on their site. I will link to their main page, just in case you want to buy a vaporizor from them, (They sell two brands. I have the Varrox) and to their info page where you can read quite a lot about Oxalic Acid.
Their main page here; http://oxavap.com/
Their Information page here; http://oxavap.com/information/
It means a lot to me when I EMail someone, and they respond within a short time. Larry from OxaVap replied within an hour. That tells me that if you have issues, they will be dealt with quickly.
Video of the vaporizer being used, Another commercial break;
Oxalic acid is less than ten dollars for two pounds. It takes 2 grams to treat a double deep hive.
1 Pound = 453.59237 Grams. Two pounds is over 900 grams. over 450 treatments for less than $10.00, and it can be used repeatedly with no side effects. In fact, Honey naturally has Oxalic acid in it already.
OxaVap has some really good reading about Oxalic acid treatments on their site. I will link to their main page, just in case you want to buy a vaporizor from them, (They sell two brands. I have the Varrox) and to their info page where you can read quite a lot about Oxalic Acid.
Their main page here; http://oxavap.com/
Their Information page here; http://oxavap.com/information/
It means a lot to me when I EMail someone, and they respond within a short time. Larry from OxaVap replied within an hour. That tells me that if you have issues, they will be dealt with quickly.
Video of the vaporizer being used, Another commercial break;
You are the only one that can decide what to use and when to treat your bees.
As is almost EVERYTHING that has to do with beekeeping, EVERY method of treatment has its advocates and its opponents.
Many treatments are no longer effective, and new treatments will become ineffective as the Varroa builds resistances to those treatments. It is up to each of us to stay up to date with current treatments, and it is up to each of us to insure we use those treatments as prescribed to help avoid building stronger, more resistant mites. Approval of products for mite treatments change often. Do your research, stay up to date, and decide what is best for you.
It is claimed that OAV can be used safely with the honey supers in place on the hives. I choose NOT to treat with supers on. I prefer to err on the side of caution.
When using any chemical, always protect yourself!
The purpose of the information on this site is not to convince you to do anything, its ONLY purpose is to tell you what "I" do.
Disclaimer finished...
I had a unique opportunity to test Oxalic Acid Vapor treatment. I bought out another beekeeper, and with the buy out came two hives, the only two that were still alive of 18 or so..
When the time came to go check on the two remaining hives, I found that both of those hives were on the verge of crashing HARD from Varroa.. I popped open several drone cells, and found an average of five mites PER drone cell.. so I popped open several more, and several more than that, and still averaged five mites PER cell.. There were crawlers as well with Deformed Wing Virus..
I packed up those hives and brought them home, replacing them with two of my other hives. Upon arrival in my yard, they were treated with OAV.. One week later they were treated with OAV again. They were treated in May, I did a mite check in mid July, and did not find ANY mites in the either roll, so I did another one, and still found zero mites..
These hives exploded after treatment. One of them had four supers and still swarmed the third week of July.
This is the best personal experience/example I have to offer of the effectiveness of OAV treatments.
I see people upset, yelling, and struggling to find an effective treatment that wont kill their bees, or contaminate them, or ruin their queen... There is a treatment, I will testify personally to the effectiveness of OAV.
From Randy Olivers Site;
Does vaporization hurt the bees?
Radetzki didn’t note increased bee mortality after winter treatment. Heinz Kaemmerer of Heilyser Technology Ltd. says: “We treated several colonies for 3 months during winter, once a week with the vaporizer and all colonies survived.” “With brood, colonies can be treated with the right amount of OA 3 to 4 times, a week apart; there is no harm to bees, queen or brood.” Medhat Nasr confirms that vaporized oxalic is very gentle to the bees.
//End quote.//
OK, so they treated bees for 12 weeks in a row and noticed nothing detrimental? I am/was impressed... SO what about using the drip or drench method with Oxalic acid?
Again, a quote from Randy Olivers site;
Heinz Kaemmerer of Heilyser Technology says:
“You can treat your colonies with a liquid mixture of OA and sugar but be careful. The liquid acid shortens the life of the bees. There is no problem during summer because the bee’s life not longer than approximately 6 weeks. The problem starts with winter bees–do not treat your winter bees more than one time with liquid OA. When using liquid OA bees get wet and have to clean each other. The result is, the acid ends up in their stomach and during winter without a cleaning flight it shortens the life of the bees. Two treatments on winter bees might kill the colony. Liquid OA is a slow killer and bees will probably die after a few weeks or month instead reaching the next season.”
Do not be in the “If a little’s good, a lot would be better” mentality with oxalic. It (drench) can be rough if over applied to the winter cluster, and is rough on the brood in the summer colony. However, be aware that most other treatments also affect the brood (amitraz, formic, thymol), queens (coumaphos), or drones (fluvalinate).
//End quote//
Randy comes to some pretty heavy conclusions through scientific rationalization about how DEADLY Oxalic Acid is, I cant disagree with him. But then he states that he moves downwind and inhales it to see? Then states he coughed his guts out?
I have treated nearly a thousand times with OAV as of this writing.. I have NEVER EVER attempted to inhale the vapor. I have not actually gone out of my way to avoid it, meaning I do not wear a mask, or glasses or rubber gloves or take ANY safety precautions.. I have gotten OA on my hand when scooping it for the vaporizor. I wiped it off, no issue.. Anotehr time I got it on the back of my finger, it started to itch so I washed it off. That is the extent of contact problems I have had. I have never inhaled or coughed even accidentally.
As stated, I do not "move downwind" to inhale it.. I always try to stay a slight distance away.. typically the length of the jumper cables and cord on the vaporizor.. 20 to 30 feet. There is often a wee bit of vapor escaping when I pull the rolled up T shirt from the entrance, but again, I dont lean forward and try to inhale it...
Scientifically speaking, Oxalic Acid isnt good for you if you could possibly manage to inahle it, or eat it, but let me ask you this. What happens if you eat Apistan, Apivar, Api Life Var, Mite Away Quick strips, Or even Hopguard? The results are likely to be bad. In using the "strips" I had the goo on just about everything, even TRYING to be careful.. Once the gloves finally came off, I inevitably had some of it on me somewhere. Or on the edge of the hive etc..
It is my experience, that with any method of treatment eventually you are going to come into contact with whatever you are treating with. With Oxalic Acid I know what it is, I know the effects and the results, and I know that if I wash it off nothing has soaked through my skin. As stated, we can deal with OA in trace amounts because we eat it every day. The lesser evil.
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-heat-vaporization-and-other-methods-part-2-of-2-parts/
A study done by Sussex University was performed on 110 hives;
The results came to a clear and encouraging conclusion. Application of oxalic acid via sublimation, where it is applied in its pure form by vaporizing the crystals with heat, was superior to application as a solution via either spraying or dribbling. Treating via sublimation gave a greater kill of Varroa at a lower oxalic acid level, and showed no increase in bee mortality.
To confirm these results, the sublimation treatment was performed again the following year. An amazing 97% of the varroa were killed by using 2.25 grams of Oxalic acid per hive, and the colony survival three months later was 100%.
Their findings were that beekeepers need only carry this treatment out once a year, because the treatment reduces the number of mites so dramatically that it takes them a long time to build back up.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/33537
That pretty much answers the question for me... No dribble, Vapor it is.
I often read rants where people are claiming your going to kill yourself. Oxalic Acid Vapor is DEADLY... We are all idiots to use it..
Evaporation of oxalic acid - a safe method for the user?;
Result; All measurements clearly underneath exposure limit.
Based upon the presented data, a commercial apiarist could use oxalic acid treatments during the whole year, 40 hours a week without damaging his health.
The above statements can be found in the PDF Document found at;
www.agroscope.admin.ch/imkerei/00316/00329/02081/index.html?lang=en
bottom of the page
Evaporation of oxalic acid – a safe method for the user?
T. Gumpp, K.Drysch, M. Radjaipour, P. C. Dartsch (2003)
Last modification: 02.02.2006 | Size: 330 kb | Type: PDF
There are a lot of very informative papers to read there.
I have not had the experience of inhaling it, despite treating all of my hives with it many, many times.. As I understand it, inhaling it locks you up, you CANT inhale it, you cough instead, and the immediate reaction is to get the heck out of Dodge...
Oxalic Acid is a natural substance.. It occurs in MANY plants, even common house plants. Rhubarb has Oxalic Acid in it. Honey HAS Oxalic acid in it naturally. Because it is organic, and a natural part of our diet, our bodies are capable of handling it in trace amounts.. Get it on your skin, your skin gets irritated and you wash it off.. In order for it to kill you, you would somehow have to ingest an ounce or more of the stuff.. I just do not see the danger, when compared to the other treatments available? Why would you be so concerned about how BAD OA is when Coumophos and fluvalinate are ten times worse? Ingest an ounce of either and they are just as likely to kill you. In liquid or paste form, getting them on your skin will have a lot worse ramifications than if you get OA on your skin.
Some of those other treatments scare the heck out of me. Some are just renamed insecticides derived from Gas designed to kill PEOPLE, others are designed to kill insects, and are relabeled to kill mites... So your killing a little insect on a big insect.......
When you do a bit of research, and READ what you find, Oxalic Acid quickly begins to look like a good idea..
So what about the concerns??
As far as I can tell, both from reading and personal experience, Oxalic Acid Vapor treatments are as safe, or safer when used appropriately. In MOST cases, OA is safer when used UN appropriately..
So it comes down to common sense and following the directions.. Stand over the hive trying to breath through a straw in the top entrance when you are treating with OAV you are likely to have a bit of a problem.. Lick your rubber gloves after installing coumaphos and you are just as likely to have a problem.. The difference is, those sticky strips can get on your suit, on the edge of the hive etc etc.. Take your gloves off to put the cover back on, then rub your eye...
Pretty much everything has a downside. The side effects of OAV are less, the chances of ME having problems are also less.
EVERYTHING in life requires common sense. I believe it was John Wayne that said;
"Life is hard when your stupid."
I have had my stupid moments. Most people have, but I can honestly say, I have NEVER purposefully placed OA on my skin to see what would happen. I have NEVER moved downwind while treating a hive to see what would happen.. I have never eaten Hopgaurd, or mixed Amitraz with my morning coffee.....
I think, it is akin to standing on the train tracks as a fast moving train approaches, just to see what will happen... If you are an idiot, then I do not recommend treating your own hives in any way shape or form, no matter what treatment you use. Please give your hives away, and stop posting your opinions on keeping bees. For everyone who has a little common sense? You will do fine.
So, I have simply said, I use OA Vapor, but I have not gone into detail about my method of doing so.
It is pretty simple.. I treat when there are no supers on, even though the claims are that its perfectly safe, I will still err on the side of caution. When the weather turns, and the bees can begin flying...
Why not in COLD weather when they are clustered as recommended?
Because I don't want to disturb the bees when it is COLD, and because I don't want to go OUT in the cold!
The transfer rate of the crystals is high. If the vapor cannot penetrate the cluster, the bees will still transfer it to other bees, and the crystals will work their way into the cluster, so treating when it is COLD and the bees are clustered IS a viable treatment method. There is no, or very little brood to worry about being capped. I just prefer to do it when I can be comfortable and not take the chance of disturbing the cluster.
What I do;
I run my jumper cables from my truck battery. I hook up the hot wire (red or +) But do not hook the ground wire up yet. I hook the red wire of the vaporizor to the red cable on the jumper cables, and obviously hook the black wire of the vaprorizor to the black lead on the jumper cables. If there is a reducer in the entrance of the hive, I remove it. Put the measured amount of OA in the pan of the Varrox Vaporizer and slide it into the hive. I use an old t shirt rolled up and taped to stuff into the entrance. I tape over the top entrance with duct tape. I connect the clips on the vaporizer to the clamps on the jumper cables.
I walk back to the truck, (I am now away from the hive) open my phone and start the stopwatch. I hook up the ground wire to the clip on the vaporizer, and I wait two minutes and thirty seconds. I unhook the ground wire and set it down. I wait another minute or two, lift the T shirt and slide the vaporizer out and re insert the rag. I dip the vaporizer in a bucket of water to cool it, and put the crystals in to do the next hive. Slide the vaporizer in the entrance and block with another rolled up T shirt. Walk to the jumper cables and connect the lead for two minutes and thirty seconds. I unhook the lead. I go to the first hive and remove the tape and rag blocking the entrance, and take it to the third hive. I remove the vaporizer from the second hive and re block the entrance with the rag, dip the vaporizer in the bucket of water to cool it, and prepare to do the next hive...
I currently have over 50 hives. I have NEVER been choked up due to vapor, but I also do NOT try to inhale the vapor. I use a little common sense and don't have any problems.
In the springtime I only treat once. In the fall, I treat three times. One week after the first time, then TWO weeks later I do it a third time...
Why three times? Why two weeks later?
There is some speculation on how effective the OAV is on OPEN brood, where the mites are already in hiding under the larvae, and we know that it is not effective in capped cells. So to be sure, I treat three times in the fall.
Treatment 1 = day 0
Treatment 2 = day 7
Skip 1 week = day 14
Treatment 3 = day 21
In doing this, I have low mite counts. Spring, summer and fall. In mid August I notice the mite counts beginning to rise again.. I want the bees, that care for the bees, that care for the bees that will be going into winter to be as healthy as possible. (Larry Connor catch phrase)
You can also simply treat 4 times if you wish, as it is not harmful to the bees or brood. Being lazy, I skip a week, it means less work so I am all in!
IF, I had a high mite count I may do ONE treatment in late October or early November to insure those winter bees will not be fighting mites and the diseases they transmit all winter.
Strong Healthy bees, with Fumagilin B syrup capped and ready to be consumed as November rolls out and December arrives... Come Spring, I have hives busting at the seams by mid April..
I often read statements like this;
"Killing a little bug on a big bug is hard on both. There is no easy answer to varroa mite control, and that is why we are still trying to figure this out 25+ years or so after the varroa mite was found in the US."
People making statements like this still confuse me greatly. I don't know about any of you, but I HAVE found the easy answer, and it WORKS!
August 2016;
I have now had the unfortunate experience of breathing OA Vapor.. my own fault for being in a hurry... As stated, the lock up is INSTANT, and I was headed upwind fast.. I coughed.. I did not cough my guts out, I coughed four or five times, and was already in clear air... I did not experience any other problems or side effects. What I did do, was slow down and stop being an idiot.
Below are a few pictures of the Cart I now use to treat my many hives. It has made life easier now that my hive count is growing. Below that a quick short vid of the cart in operation.
The gas engine seems more annoying to me than it does the bees. 42 hives treated in about two hours. I did not have to charge a battery, or deal with moving my truck and using jumper cables to reach the hives. I LOVE this thing!
Treatments for Varroa... are treatments for Varroa. It is my opinion that if you are initiating brood breaks, using powdered sugar, Thymol, Oxalic Acid, Essential oils, Hopguard, Drone Trapping, Apivar, etc,etc.. you are treating the bees to help them cope with the mites. Argue all you wish, you will not change my mind about this one. Bees that are Treatment free, are bees that do not get ANY of those things purposefully from the beekeeper. Anything you use, or do that is artificial, Meaning something the bees did not initiate themselves, then you ARE treating for mites. I will not argue that some of those treatments are better or worse for the bees.
Natural approach.
NOT treating for mites is a BIG draw for a new beekeeper.. Using the excuse of being a "Natural" beekeeper would seem to make life SO MUCH easier for someone starting out. However much easier it may seem, it will create problems, hardships and dead hives. Not only for YOUR hives, but for any population of bees nearby.
As your hive dies, your bees will abscond and go to other hives taking mites with them. Other hives will begin to rob out your hive as it weakens, and can no longer defend itself. Those robber bees will take the diseases and mites that are killing your hive, back to their own hive, be they a neighbors hive, or a feral hive.
You don't have to take my word for that;
Please read;
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/12/489622982/the-colony-killing-mistake-backyard-beekeepers-are-making
Quote from that site;
Many hobbyists avoid mite treatments, preferring a natural approach, says Marla Spivak, a bee expert at the University of Minnesota. But that's often a deadly decision for the bees, she says.
National surveys by the Bee Informed Partnership show backyard beekeepers are taking the greatest losses nationally, and those losses are often the result of an out-of-control infestation of the varroa mite, says Spivak.
Varroa mites arrived in the United States nearly 30 years ago, and they've become a big problem in recent years.
Untreated hives can spread mites and viruses to other hives within several miles, Spivak says. Healthy bees will invade a dying hive to steal its honey. When they do, they carry the mites with them back to their hives.
End quote
I agree that not treating seems to make life easier, but it is a choice that conceals a threat that will affect more than just your hives. Please be responsible. Please care for your bees.
Treating with OAV is simple, quick and painless, not to mention cheaper than most other methods.
Another quote from the article linked above;
"You can get the book learning. You can see the YouTubes. You can be told by others," he says, but "you have to have hands-on experience. When you start putting it all together, it starts making sense."
End Quote
I agree. Once you DO IT a time or two, you realize how easy it is. You can read, watch, listen and learn, and end up very confused. Once you actually start to DO, all of that learning, reading, Watching and listening starts to come together and make sense. Please do not omit treating your bees if and or when they need it!
Treatments for Varroa... are treatments for Varroa. It is my opinion that if you are initiating brood breaks, using powdered sugar, Thymol, Oxalic Acid, Essential oils, Hopguard, Drone Trapping, Apivar, etc,etc.. you are treating the bees to help them cope with the mites. Argue all you wish, you will not change my mind about this one. Bees that are Treatment free, are bees that do not get ANY of those things purposefully from the beekeeper. Anything you use, or do that is artificial, Meaning something the bees did not initiate themselves, then you ARE treating for mites. I will not argue that some of those treatments are better or worse for the bees.
Natural approach.
NOT treating for mites is a BIG draw for a new beekeeper.. Using the excuse of being a "Natural" beekeeper would seem to make life SO MUCH easier for someone starting out. However much easier it may seem, it will create problems, hardships and dead hives. Not only for YOUR hives, but for any population of bees nearby.
As your hive dies, your bees will abscond and go to other hives taking mites with them. Other hives will begin to rob out your hive as it weakens, and can no longer defend itself. Those robber bees will take the diseases and mites that are killing your hive, back to their own hive, be they a neighbors hive, or a feral hive.
You don't have to take my word for that;
Please read;
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/12/489622982/the-colony-killing-mistake-backyard-beekeepers-are-making
Quote from that site;
Many hobbyists avoid mite treatments, preferring a natural approach, says Marla Spivak, a bee expert at the University of Minnesota. But that's often a deadly decision for the bees, she says.
National surveys by the Bee Informed Partnership show backyard beekeepers are taking the greatest losses nationally, and those losses are often the result of an out-of-control infestation of the varroa mite, says Spivak.
Varroa mites arrived in the United States nearly 30 years ago, and they've become a big problem in recent years.
Untreated hives can spread mites and viruses to other hives within several miles, Spivak says. Healthy bees will invade a dying hive to steal its honey. When they do, they carry the mites with them back to their hives.
End quote
I agree that not treating seems to make life easier, but it is a choice that conceals a threat that will affect more than just your hives. Please be responsible. Please care for your bees.
Treating with OAV is simple, quick and painless, not to mention cheaper than most other methods.
Another quote from the article linked above;
"You can get the book learning. You can see the YouTubes. You can be told by others," he says, but "you have to have hands-on experience. When you start putting it all together, it starts making sense."
End Quote
I agree. Once you DO IT a time or two, you realize how easy it is. You can read, watch, listen and learn, and end up very confused. Once you actually start to DO, all of that learning, reading, Watching and listening starts to come together and make sense. Please do not omit treating your bees if and or when they need it!
Nosema; N. ceranae & N. apis.
(Wikipedia)The symptoms of Nosema are relatively nonspecific, which makes it difficult to distinguish from other diseases of the honey bee. It arises mostly in the spring after periods of bad weather, although it may also be a winter disease that is only noticed in the spring when beekeepers first inspect their hives. The female worker bees are most strongly afflicted, less so the drones. The queen bee is rarely infected since afflicted bees rarely participate in feeding the queen. The most notable symptom is dysentery. This appears as yellow stripes on the outside of the hive and in severe cases, inside the hive. Bees may be unable to fly ("crawling") due to disjointed wings.
Further symptoms include increased girth of the abdomen, missing sting reflex, and early replacement of the queen. If the queen is infected, her ovaries degenerate and egg production drops due to atrophy of the oocytes, after which she is likely to be superseded. The disease pattern described by Higes et al.. in Spain for N. ceranae is slightly different from that of N. apis. The changes in the digestive system were substantially more serious than with N. apis, related to particularly heavy and spacious cell lesions. Conversely, classical symptoms were missing from N. ceranae, such as diarrhea, crawling, large numbers of dead bees in the apiary, etc. Bees tend to die away from the apiary, which causes a reduction in food gathered and can eventually lead to colony collapse. Ritter (CVUA Freiburg) reported symptoms can arise throughout the year from N. ceranae, in contrast to N. apis. In the winter, some colonies died within a short time and the bees lay dead in the box (in Spain, hives usually remained empty). Whether these features are related to the new form of Nosema cannot be conclusively proven.
Transmission
Newly emerged bees are always free from infection. Spores must be swallowed by a bee for the infection to be initiated. Spores germinate quickly after entering the ventriculus, and the epithelial cells of the ventriculus are infected when the vegetative stage is introduced by way of the hollow polar filament. Once inside a cell, the vegetative stage increases in size and multiplies, effecting an apparent concurrent reduction of RNA synthesis in the host cell. In six to 10 days, the infected host epithelial cells become filled with new spores. Epithelial cells are normally shed into the ventriculus where they burst – releasing digestive enzymes. When infected cells are shed similarly, they release 30–50 million infective spores when they burst.
Effects on the Hive
Nosema spores are spread to other colony members through fecal matter. The disease impairs the digestion of pollen, thereby shortening the life of the bee. A greater proportion of worker bees become infected than drones or queens, probably due to the comb-cleaning activities of young bees in which drones and queens do not participate. Nosema-infected bees do not attend or feed the queen to the same extent as healthy bees, which helps the queen to escape infection. When the queen becomes infected, her ovaries degenerate and her egg-laying capacity is reduced due to atrophy of the oocytes. Queens that become infected by the parasite during the brood-rearing season are superseded by the bees.
The seasonal trend of typical infections exhibits low levels during summer, a small peak in autumn, and a slow rise of infection during winter. It is more common during times of confinement - winter and spring. In the spring, the level of infection increases rapidly as brood-rearing starts and while flight possibilities are still limited. Colonies in northern climates are more seriously affected than colonies in the south because of the increased amount of time bees are confined in the hive. Nosema, if left untreated, can cause queen supersedure, winter kills, reduced honey yields, and dwindling populations.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is dependent on microscopic examination of the ventricular (midgut) content and/or fecal matter or on PCR analysis of infected tissue. No specific outward sign of disease may be present, although in dissections, the ventriculus often appears whitish and swollen in late stages of infection. The disease is easily detected in samples of whole bees macerated in water. The fluid is examined under a light microscope at 250–500 x magnification where the characteristic Nosema spores can be observed. Though the spores of N. apis and N. ceranae have slight morphological and ultrastructural differences, they cannot be reliably differentiated via light microscopy. PCR analysis or electron microscopy of spores are the only reliable ways to differentiate between the two types of Nosema infection, given genetic variation and variation in the number of sporular Polar Filiment coils between the two species.
Treating Nosema
Treatment with the antibiotic Fumagilin-B (prepared from Aspergillus fumigatus, the causative agent of stonebrood, inhibits the spores reproducing in the ventriculus, but does not kill the spores. A disinfection of the honeycombs and utensils is recommended for an extensive disease outbreak.
The spores are sensitive to chemicals such as acetic acid and formaldehyde, and physical radiation: ultrasonic and gamma radiation.
Heat treatment in 49°C (120°F) for 24 hours can be used to kill the spores on contaminated equipment.
/end Wiki
Fumagilin-B is the only approved nosema treatment in North America. It has been demonstrated to be effective against Nosema ceranae, and Nosema Apis. Adding Fumagilin-B to your fall syrup, the syrup you use to insure your hives have as much capped honey/syrup as possible before winter arrives will insure Nosema does not become a problem. The bees will feed on this syrup through the winter, and come out BOOMING in the spring.
Why not just feed it as it is needed?
Bees do not typically take syrup when it is COLD. Below 50 degrees they have no interest in it. When it is cold, you will also not be able to drizzle the syrup/fumagilin mixture on them, or you will kill them.
The most reliable means is as stated, to mix it with the fall syrup, so it is capped in the cells, and the colony feeds on it all winter. If they show signs again in the spring they can, by then be fed the syrup.
Yet another study... done testing Thymol, Nozevit, HBH, and Fumagillin B
Honey B Healthy seemed to increase survivability....
Honey-B-Healthy had no effect on spore production, therefore the reduction in mortality displayed under treatment must be attributed to positive effects on the bee itself rather than to an antagonistic effect on the pathogen. Fumagillin was the only compound to significantly and consistently reduce spore production. The failure of fumagillin to reduce mortality congruently is unexplained. Thymol and Nozevit had some effect on spore production but it was unclear how significant this effect was.
So this year I will be trying HBH mixed with the fall medicated syrup. Mix HBH as recommended, 4 to 8 tsp per gallon, then mix in the Fumagillin B;
IE;
Medicated syrup should be fed in the fall after the honey supers have been removed. This fall feeding is very important to protect bees during the winter season, when they’re cooped up in the hive. About 8 to 12 litres (2-3 gallons) of 2:1 sugar syrup will usually be needed for each colony. If you’re making your own sugar syrup for fall feeding, mix 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Commercial bee syrup may also be used.
Mix 1 rounded teaspoon of Fumagilin-B into 4 ounces of warm water (38-49°C or 100-120°F), and stir this into 4 litres (1 US gallon) of sugar syrup until it has dissolved. One 454g bottle of Fumagilin-B will usually be enough to treat 50 colonies.
http://cba.stonehavenlife.com/2008/09/fall-treatment-for-nosema/
http://countryrubes.com/images/NOSEMA_KH_ARTICLE.pdf
http://www.vita-europe.com/diseases/nosema/
CCD
Colony Collapse Disorder
What little knowledge I have of CCD is strictly second hand, but in gaining that knowledge it seems VERY clear to me that it is largely a problem of the migratory beekeeper.
I have, like most, only guesses as to what the problem is, but have come to the conclusion that it is a compounding of different problems, with the onset provided by insecticides introduced in the year or two before the first problem became apparent, along with the problems presented by the Varroa Destructor. This is only my own un scientific opinion.
Living in an agricultural state, with thousands of acres of corn and beans growing within a few short feet from many of my hives, I make sure to rotate my combs, trying to keep the comb rotated out between by the time it is five years old.
In the picture below you can see these four hives within paces of neonic corn. ALL of my hives are within a few paces to 100 yards of fields. Fields planted with neonic coated seeds, and sprayed with roundup and 24-D. I have not "noticed" any problems. My hives are healthy and thriving. I attribute some small part of that to rotating comb and keeping them clean and well cared for. Fact? Or fiction?
I do not NOW, nor will I ever claim that neonics are harmless to the bees. What I do claim, is that they are LESS harmful to the bees than the previous methods used. I do not have Instantly dead hives, instead, I have a responsibility to make sure my comb is rotated out every few years, so that the insecticides, fungicides and other chemicals do not have the TIME they need to build up and combine in the wax, and create a lethal situation.
Colony Collapse Disorder
What little knowledge I have of CCD is strictly second hand, but in gaining that knowledge it seems VERY clear to me that it is largely a problem of the migratory beekeeper.
I have, like most, only guesses as to what the problem is, but have come to the conclusion that it is a compounding of different problems, with the onset provided by insecticides introduced in the year or two before the first problem became apparent, along with the problems presented by the Varroa Destructor. This is only my own un scientific opinion.
Living in an agricultural state, with thousands of acres of corn and beans growing within a few short feet from many of my hives, I make sure to rotate my combs, trying to keep the comb rotated out between by the time it is five years old.
In the picture below you can see these four hives within paces of neonic corn. ALL of my hives are within a few paces to 100 yards of fields. Fields planted with neonic coated seeds, and sprayed with roundup and 24-D. I have not "noticed" any problems. My hives are healthy and thriving. I attribute some small part of that to rotating comb and keeping them clean and well cared for. Fact? Or fiction?
I do not NOW, nor will I ever claim that neonics are harmless to the bees. What I do claim, is that they are LESS harmful to the bees than the previous methods used. I do not have Instantly dead hives, instead, I have a responsibility to make sure my comb is rotated out every few years, so that the insecticides, fungicides and other chemicals do not have the TIME they need to build up and combine in the wax, and create a lethal situation.
I have read research that older comb, between three and five years of age INCREASES the survive-ability of brood. However, that study also showed that the brood area was larger in new comb. The conclusion was that despite a greater brood survive-ability in older comb, the hive grew faster with fresh new comb.
With the very real threat of neonics, fungicides and insecticides building up in the wax, I do not wish to take the chance of problems. Sterility of queens and drones, or increased mortality of brood due to the buildup.
Is CCD a new thing?
Not at all... The only NEW thing is the internet... Guess when this article was written;
"The bees just vanished, and were nowhere to be seen. If they had died in or about the hive, possibly we might have found out what was the matter, but they seemed to evaporate, hence, I have called it evaporation. The loss of bees was so complete that many colonies had not a half a teacup of bees left, where, less than a week before, they covered brood in three combs and upward. The queens, it seems, were always left, but the workers so completely evaporated that the brood perished."
That was written by R.C. Aikin from Colorado in May of 1891.
The trouble has always existed, but only now do we have the means of communicating it to the world. Only now, do those who wish for something to jump up and scream about have the ability to be so clearly heard. None of it seemed of as great a concern before the arrival of the internet.. Yes, there were those who raised their voice against DDT and other insecticides, and I do not disparage their contributions.. I never saw an eagle growing up. We did not have them here, because of the poisons used... Now, they are everywhere again, and it is a joy to watch them gliding the currents high above my home. But now, it seems so many are yelling, and they do not even have the facts about what it is they yell the loudest about.
I am certain, that as time passes, we will all be graced with better bees, IF, we purchase OR work to develop better genetics.
My beliefs only. Developed over time from Old beekeepers and new. So take it for what it is worth!
Scott
With the very real threat of neonics, fungicides and insecticides building up in the wax, I do not wish to take the chance of problems. Sterility of queens and drones, or increased mortality of brood due to the buildup.
Is CCD a new thing?
Not at all... The only NEW thing is the internet... Guess when this article was written;
"The bees just vanished, and were nowhere to be seen. If they had died in or about the hive, possibly we might have found out what was the matter, but they seemed to evaporate, hence, I have called it evaporation. The loss of bees was so complete that many colonies had not a half a teacup of bees left, where, less than a week before, they covered brood in three combs and upward. The queens, it seems, were always left, but the workers so completely evaporated that the brood perished."
That was written by R.C. Aikin from Colorado in May of 1891.
The trouble has always existed, but only now do we have the means of communicating it to the world. Only now, do those who wish for something to jump up and scream about have the ability to be so clearly heard. None of it seemed of as great a concern before the arrival of the internet.. Yes, there were those who raised their voice against DDT and other insecticides, and I do not disparage their contributions.. I never saw an eagle growing up. We did not have them here, because of the poisons used... Now, they are everywhere again, and it is a joy to watch them gliding the currents high above my home. But now, it seems so many are yelling, and they do not even have the facts about what it is they yell the loudest about.
I am certain, that as time passes, we will all be graced with better bees, IF, we purchase OR work to develop better genetics.
My beliefs only. Developed over time from Old beekeepers and new. So take it for what it is worth!
Scott