If everyone is home at night why don't we .......

[J-grow]

Do our OAV treatments at night?

Seems like if we treat during the day 10,000 bees with mites can just fly home after you treated the hive and keep the mites dream alive?

Truth?

Anyone doing this?

[Some Day]

Yes.  That was my thinking also.  They are a little more pissy at night though.  The old girls that leave the hive head straight to your light.  3 OAV tratments 8 days apart should get most of the mites that were safe in the capped brood on the first two treatments.

Why not try to get a 98% to 99% kill on the mites vs. 90%

[Wandering Man]

My one attempt to treat at night was a stinging disaster.  First, it was a hot day and still hot in the evening.  I had used a bee escape to get as many bees as possible from the supers into the main brood box.  They were crowded and hot, so: Second, there were many, many bees bearding the hive, so I couldn't get them all anyway.  And then Third, my battery was low on juice, so I had to repeat the process. The bees were not happy, and let me know about it as I put the supers back on.

I've decided to wait for cooler weather, and to do my treating during the day when I can see what I'm doing.

[Perry]

Don't forget that you also want to get as many phoretic mites as possible, and that the vapour may not distribute as well with a crowded hive.

[J-grow]

Agreed ....... If bearding it would mitigate some of the original goal in getting all of them while in the hive ............ although it depends on the beard. A hundred or a couple hundred bearded bees is probably far less than are out of the hive in the daytime foraging ( I think )

It is darn hot right now though that's for sure .......... Hate to over cook them.   

[LazyBkpr]

The OA Crystals transfer readily.. remember it is recommended to treat when the bees are clustered and have little brood..   The crystals will be distributed through out the cluster in a short time..
   Test were done, blocking off half of a hive, and treating the other half, then the block was removed. Efficiency was still over 93% compared to 97% when treated normally without blocking.

  The greater concern is getting the mites under the capped cells when treating while there is capped brood, which requires additional treatments when those bees emerge.
   If you attempt to treat at night, use a RED light, and TAPE your pant legs!!!!! The bees will not fly, but they will Crawl like mad women!

[J-grow]

I just googled crawling mad women ........ Very disturbing

Thank you for the important safety tip ....... I don't want anything to do with what I saw!

[Les]

You might want to use Formic Acid instead of the OV, it will go after the mites in the capped cells....the OV will not.  I waited till evening to put on my pads of Formic Acid.   Suited up, popped the lids, layed the pads on the frames and closed it up.  They hardly knew I was there. My mite kill has been unbelievable!

[J-grow]

Yes I have been watching your post showing those results ........ That's a good feeling seeing all those dead miteacites!

[apisbees]

You might want to use Formic Acid instead of the OV, it will go after the mites in the capped cells....the OV will not.  I waited till evening to put on my pads of Formic Acid.   Suited up, popped the lids, layed the pads on the frames and closed it up.  They hardly knew I was there. My mite kill has been unbelievable!

Formic in MAQS will kill the mites that are under cappings. Any other way of dispensing will not penetrate the cappings.

[LazyBkpr]

I just googled crawling mad women ........ Very disturbing

Thank you for the important safety tip ....... I don't want anything to do with what I saw!

    The end of the day, Rum and coke in hand....   I blame the hilarity and laughter on the rum and coke...  yes, that was funny!

[lazy shooter]

Iddee passed along a tidbit of wisdom about night work.  It was that bees don't react to a red light, but they will over react to a white light.

lazy

I don't work bees at night, as they are prone to crawl on you.  If there is a wee hole in your armor, a crawling bee will find it, and bring many friends with her.