# How do you Treat your HTBH with Mite Away Quick Strips



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Hi,
I was wondering how people treat their hives with Mite Away Quick Strips? I can't find much information, and the company doesn't have any recommendations. The only think I've heard of is someone putting 2 blank bars in their hive (a few bars apart) and hanging the strips from that. 

Thanks


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

I have used MAQS in a KTBH by placing them on the floor just to the side of the brood nest and replacing the bars above it with empty ones. I only used one pad at a time however. It worked but I was not impressed and will never do it again. MAQS is designed for a Langstroth hive and is not recommended for top bar hives per the manufacturer. The formic acid fumes are heavier than air and flow downward through the hive and out the front entrance which MUST be wide open. It is often recommended that the hive bodies be offset slightly for additional airflow. With a top bar hive the air does not move sideways very well and the entrance opening is generally much smaller than in a Langstroth hive which also hinders the air flow. Thus the fumes kind of stagnate in the hive and do not flow in the way the product requires. After seeing too many bee deaths (from my point of view) using one pad, my general belief is that two in a top bar hive would be a very bad idea. I would recommend Apivar or OAV instead.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks for the thoughts dudeIt. This is going to be my second application because the first round apparently didn't do the trick. For the first application what I did was space the bars apart a little, similar to the spacing of a langstroth, and then put the pads on top of the bars. I have a screened bottom with a bottom board that can be adjusted for ventilation, and i opened that up a bit and also pulled a bar from the end of the hive to help with ventilation. Not sure what went wrong. Too much ventilation? Maybe. Or maybe, like you said, the air flow in the hive didn't allow for the fumes to move through the entire hive. Either way, I still have varroa and need to treat it. I think I'm going to try hanging one, and maybe not have so much ventilation. I'm just nervous about killing my bees

MAQS' were not my first choice, OAV was. But apparently in California (where I am) it is not legal to sell OAV (or have it shipped from out of state)! So I couldn't do that. I hear Apivar is hard on the bees? Also, can it be used when there is brood and honey in the hive? What are the temp requirements?


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

Apivar is not hard on bees or queens and to my knowledge, there are no temperature restrictions. Some mite immunity to it has been reported but it is not wide spread. If you have bars of honey that you are planning to use for your own consumption, you should remove them from the hive before treatment. Otherwise, any honey that is left in the hive for the bees can be left there. You are unfortunately in San Francisco. Due to the "organic" mindset in your area you also have a lot of treatment free beekeepers. As those hive collapse and die, they will be moving into your hives and you will have to face continual re-infestation. Have an ongoing monthly monitoring program for the best results.


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