# Treat small hive with MAQS?



## kapkarl (Oct 10, 2015)

Do I treat this colony? Combine it? Let it go? Here's the story:

I've got five frames in a deep nuc box that I split a couple weeks ago to avoid a swarm. The queen is laying solid frames. Best of our five hives. However, I did a sugar roll and came up with 12 mites per 300 bees. I've got Quick Strips, but the directions advise not using them on less than six full frames. 

[A captured swarm from my hives was not treated, but went through a brood break. Two mites. A fellow beekeeper came out to apply OAV to the three others. The mites were knocked well back to Z ero, one or two mites in each. But those three treated colonies now show very slim and spotty brood. 

These hives are already behind in prepping for winter - I'm getting ready to feed 2:1 syrup, etc. 

This is my first year, and it's been a great, wild ride so far. I started with two hives this spring, and will consider this year a success if I still have one good hive in the spring.

Thanks!


----------



## BigBlackBirds (Aug 26, 2011)

A sample of 4 per hundred makes me start to get uncomfortable. But it's not at the stage of crashing stage either so that's good. And if they are slowing down for winter they could hang in there until spring. On the other hand a good fall flow might keep em laying and just drive up your mite infestation jeopardizing survivable its. 

Reality is your are probably gonna need to treat at some point whether that's this fall or spring if you are wanting to keep them. you are running 4% infestation on what amounts to a big nuc. Think what that could look like on a full production colony with 400% more comb. I'm ok with formic but even one strip might be hard on them. It's pretty potent stuff especially if at all hot. If you try it, I'd aim for a three day period in 70s as the most evaporation happens in beginning of application. 

Second option is light dose of thymol. You have greater flexibility in dosage and time between applications so it'd be easier on them. You can still kill brood and cause lapse in laying but it isn't nearly as rough on queens even though formic tends to be roughest on crappy queens that you are probably best without in long run anyway

Another option is to gamble a little longer and get to brood less period in late October to hit with oxalic. That could work unless infestation explodes and they can't establish population of wintering bees. 

Personally I'd hold off and see if they make winter. It's possible and then I'd treat them in spring by requeening with cell to give brood break and hitting with oxalic dribble right when she started to lay. That basically hits the reset button for next year as I wouldn't want that queen long term. But with my approach you have to be willing to lose them over winter. It's probably much safer for new guy to treat them now to have bees and brood come spring to work with and then just do same thing regarding requeening


----------



## saltyoldman (Feb 1, 2009)

Dennis VanEngelsdorp of the University of Maryland suggests treatment at the 3 per 100 level. Apparently sub lethal damage is being done at this level and intervention is suggested.


----------



## Western (May 29, 2016)

I am curious about this as well, hoping someone with direct experience chimes in in treating a nuc size hive with MAQS. I did read a few reviews and they used one strip for nucs and small hives in an 8 frame BB with good results FWTW.


----------



## orthoman (Feb 23, 2013)

I had a nuc that was made up of 10 frames. I use medium frames so it was a 5 over 5 Nucleus hive. I wasn't expecting much of a mite count as it was a nuc and I thought the brood break would solve my problem I did an alcohol wash and sampled 24 mites - or over 7%. This was huge and this nuc was most likely doomed. So, I put 2 MAQS pads in -- thinking it was probably too much but wasn't sure 1 pad would work. 

They immediately bearded on the front but eventually settled down. When I removed the pads a week later I expected to find no brood and no sign of a laying queen. What I found was a lot of dead bees on the bottom board, the queen was still laying as I had plenty of eggs and I did see the queen. 

I think I lucked out.

In retrospect, I might just treat with one pad, then sample for mites again - and probably treat again with a single pad. Or, OAV treatments - one treatment every 7 days.


----------



## JustKrispy (Jan 8, 2016)

Why don't you just hit them with oav now? You can control the dose easier than with mite away. Do the 3 x treatment and then you will know mites are down. Its cheap and easy.


----------



## Western (May 29, 2016)

One other thing I read on those reviews, several used honey Bee Healthy on a small pad, like several drops when treating with MAQS, they said they had little to no issues with absconding, or queen problems doing this.. I think I will do this if I treat with MAQS. I only have 2 1 month 4-5 week old nucs that came with basically only 3 frames of bees, now around 5-6 frames in 8 frame BB.


----------



## kapkarl (Oct 10, 2015)

I only have OA dribble equipment. The fellow did a pretty big favor coming out to treat the others earlier, and I don't feel I can ask him again. I might do a dribble, though. I have that on hand as well as two MAQS.

I suppose I don't have much to lose. Treat the small hive and maybe suffer losses or don't treat and almost certainly lose them.


----------



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Treat them with OVA or a dribble (vapor is better). I'm sure a small "donation" will help get the fellow who treated your other hives back out -- far better than a dead hive, which is what you will get.

I'm using OVA on my nucs this year, they are too small for formic acid and will surely die if not treated with anything. Ditto for my newbie friend's hives, not big enough to use MAQS.

Peter


----------



## Western (May 29, 2016)

I have MAQS coming, but temps are a tad high, may have to get a big syringe and try the dribble, only 2 nuc size hives, so no a time issue.

Put oil on the SBB tray 3 days ago just to see natural mite fall, found 5 on one and 6 on the other a minute ago, so I have to have a good population of them. I didn't due a role, since I figure I need to treat anyway and don't have a huge population of bees yet, maybe 7k I'm guessing.


----------

