OTS for varroa control

[robo]

Often times things look good on paper, but reality deals us another hand.    It is always good when we can witness the hypothesis.

Part of the OTS theory on varroa (and more generally brood breaks),  is that mites need 8 day old larvae to reproduce.  When there is no 8 day larvae they must wait.  So when the first larvae from the new queen hits 8 days,  the phoretic mites jump on it and overload the cell and kill the larvae and starve themselves. 

Here is a photo that shows one of these first larvae after a brood break,  that demonstrates the overload of varroa.

[Lburou]

Interesting Robo.  How does several brood breaks each year affect  honey production?  One brood break just before a honey flow can boost honey production.  I haven't tried it beyond that.  :-)

[robo]

Rule of thumb seems to be 1lb of honey per frame of bood per week.   I have no experience to agree or disagree with this.

[rwlaw]

Thought I share another pic of example of brood breaks, I found it unusual as I don't normally see the results first hand. This larvae had five mites on it and four on the other, supposedly any more than three is fatal to the host.

[pistolpete]

I guess that hitting the hive with Oxalic acid Vapour just before the new queen starts laying would also be a good idea.