# Can you feed bees while treating with apiguard?



## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

Anyone know if it is okay to feed bees while treating with apiguard?


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

I do, but only during a honey flow, also I use double screens on top of the feeder to prevent robbing, haven't had a problem yet.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Well we do though it's not ideal and will probably lead to an occassional smaller hive getting robbed out. For us it's more a case of getting everything done before it gets cold.


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## Jon11 (Mar 29, 2011)

Is there something about the treatments that lead bees to rob more?


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Jon11 said:


> Is there something about the treatments that lead bees to rob more?


The aromatic vapors that kill mites cause bearding and lots of fanning. This also disrupts a hives normal defensive mechanism, add a little syrup dripping out the entrance and probability of robbing increases.


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## sdwowen (Sep 23, 2013)

Jon11 said:


> Anyone know if it is okay to feed bees while treating with apiguard?


Hi Jon,

I'm from Vita, Apiguard's manufacturer. Please see below from our Frequently Asked Questions about Apiguard, which I hope will help with your query:



> *Q: Can I feed my colonies whilst using Apiguard?*
> Yes and No. The recommendation is not to apply Apiguard whilst feeding simultaneously in case the
> bees spend all their time taking the feed and not bothering to clean out the Apiguard gel. This is not a
> high risk and will vary between different colonies, so if you have to feed and treat at the same time, try
> it in a few colonies first and see how the bees react.


You can find the full FAQs here: http://www.vita-europe.com/wp-content/uploads/VitaApiguardFAQ201208.pdf

Kind regards,
Sebastian


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

The disruption to my hives while using Apiguard caused some of them to get robbed and that was without feeding syrup. So feeding syrup would be an additional risk factor at a time they are more vulnerable. 

Probably there is some organisation needed, you have to figure the 4 week window needed for the Apiguard treatment, then outside of that how to get enough feed in them for the winter. I don't know why people take weeks feeding their bees, my feeders are top feeders and hold 4 gallons, in a healthy hive the bees will store that in a few days.


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