Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Les on October 17, 2015, 12:24:02 pm
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The temperatures are dropping, the bees are still buzzing but I am starting to see more dead bees in front of the hives. Is this to be expected with the drop in temps? Also, the majority of the bees seem larger...is it my imagination?
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They are likely drones being kicked out. They are not allowed to stay in the winter. A man not needed is shown the way out quickly. :o :D
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Nope, not drones.....they kicked them out quite awhile ago.
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Ya, I've got em too, mostly the old foragers giving up the ghost. I always check their wings tho, most of the time their wings are tattered.
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Hi Les, I have some of that as well, like rwlaw said, if the wings are tattered they are old. If the wings are wrinkled up, it deformed wing virus. I have one hive that had a treatment of 3 fogs, about 3 weeks ago. But I'm still getting mite drop on my sticky board and I'm treating again.
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Am I wrong to assume that is too cold to vaporize oxalic acid now if I still have a mite drop? We are going down to freezing tonight!
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I believe the literature recommends 4 C (39 F) and above.
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That sounds about right, I shoot for about 45 degrees and up.
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Any time its above freezing. With less brood you will have a greater effect on the mite population. If they have little to no brood you can get by with a single treatment of OAV.. if they have brood you need to treat again to catch the mites that were in the sealed cells.
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Yah I have to get to another inspection and see where my 3 hives are with the brood situation. So, in saying "less brood" do you mean just a couple-ish of frames of brood?
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A "couple-ish frames of brood" is better than 8 frames of sealed brood when treating, but I meant NO sealed brood or a small patch as they go into the cold weather, or come out of it. The less brood the less sealed cells the less times treatment is necessary.
Because I dont LIKE to go out in the cold to check or treat bees I have to treat more, which is why i do the three time treatment at 1/7/21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClobU68Ekmo
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I have watched this vid several times. It's what sold me on using OA and buying my Heiliser vaporizer. I have never regreted it... what is there to regret? :)