Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: The15thMember on September 01, 2022, 10:22:44 pm
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I've got a few hives that need treating this fall, and this will be my first time using OAV with brood in the hive. I'm seeing a lot of different opinions online for treatment intervals and duration. What sort of treatment schedule do you guys do with OAV when there is brood present?
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We used a 3 treatment schedule. Treat with OAV on day 1, treat with OAV on day 7, skip treatment on day 14, treat with OAV on day 21. I was all on board with this originally but not so sure these days. I have read and been told that this "over treatment" is not detrimental to the bees but it seems like a lot to me. Ted
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What I do, not what I am advising you to do.
I treat every three days, 9 times, that time span gets the mite that was capped with the drone the day before treatment began and most of the ones that hatched during treatment. I have used this schedule for about 3 years now. I do this about Feb, then July and again around Nov.
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RAST, I love your answer! :)
3 years ago I had a mite bomb/explosion happen in all of my 5 hives. I had never experiences a mite bomb in all my years beekeeping. It was in early September. I was astounded because I take really good care of my hives. Did a fast read up on mite bombs and learned that they happen quickly right under your nose.
I went into warp speed and thru on Apivar, a 6 week treatment, and then did OA fog every 4 days for that 6 week period. I hammered those hives with treatment.
At the end of the 6 weeks, most of the bees survived, all the queens were still alive, PLUS all of the hives made it thru the winter with the same queens.
That made me a full believer that OA doesn't hurt the bees! But it sure knocks the mites down quickly.