# Best type of mite control in spring?



## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

I am pretty sure I will need mite control in spring but was wondering what is the best way to do this? I don't use the steam (?) treatment- don't have the equipment.

Last fall I wanted to treat but the temperature was too high right up to fall. I've lost two of my 6 hives due to low bee count going into winter. The others are doing good to great, so far.


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

You'll most likely get many different opinions. Mine is that you may need to treat with OAV every week for three or four weeks if they have a lot of brood. As far north as you are they may not have much brood, if that's the case just treat them once and you should be good.
I have hives in an isolated location that I never treat, in an effort to maintain and future develop TF bees. But the others I treat with OAV once in November and once in August, both periods they are broodless in my area. I have not noticed any queen mortality that I noticed when I tried other treatments


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## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

I don't have OAV but use the pads (don't have the name with me right now). I've used the strips some years ago but was told they are no longer affective.


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

Sr. Tanya said:


> I don't have OAV but use the pads (don't have the name with me right now). I've used the strips some years ago but was told they are no longer affective.


You can go online for DIY oxalic acid vaporizer, I made one for under twenty dollars out of a cup warmer that plugs into you car cigarette lighter, go to a local hardware and buy oxalic acid for almost nothing, they call it wood bleach.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Find some Apivar strips 
4 week treatment


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Before you decide on a treatment you ought to see if you have a need to treat - and that means testing. The sugar roll is decently accurate and does not cost much to do.

Then you need to decide how long you have for your treatment window - meaning do you need to have honey supers on? Some treatments are ok with honey supers on, most are not. Some work-arounds exist - for example with OA (and I hear that you don't have a commercially made evaporator) - supers have to be off the hive but can quickly go back on.

Some mite treatments are temperature sensitive too.

What I have done in prior seasons is use the formic acid pads (marketed as mite away quick strips II) and then switch to other treatments as needed for the rest of the season. I have a fancy new oxalic acid tool from Canada that I'll use for two treatment cycles this year, and supplement with one of the thymol treatments - probably Apiguard. This is a year for me to not use maqs - rotation among products helps reduce resistance. I try to stay with the soft treatments - Apivar (Amitraz) works well, but I decided long ago not to go down the completely man made chemical path.

I hope this helps. You also ought to test post treatment to check that the treatment was effective.


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## costigaj (Oct 28, 2015)

I am going with the muti product rotation. Last year I tried HopGuard and was not happy. I used Apivar and OAV. I didn't want to use Apivar but was forced to because the HopGuard failed so miserably. I try to go the least toxic route. I am planning to use MAQS in the late spring before it gets too hot and OAV in the fall.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

I don't know guys
Apivar works great. The way I see it, use the stand by first then manage in the other alternative treatments to extend the period time between the next Apivar. Alternative treatments require specific conditions, and typically don't hammer down heavy infestation in short time


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Ian said:


> I don't know guys
> Apivar works great. The way I see it, use the stand by first then manage in the other alternative treatments to extend the period time between the next Apivar. Alternative treatments require specific conditions, and typically don't hammer down heavy infestation in short time


I'm fast approaching this same conclusion. I've yet to pull the trigger on Apivar, however.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Long as you keep your hives alive, that's the important part 
Guys can't make living on struggling or dead hives


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## BeeDakota (Oct 9, 2016)

so when should hives be treated? What dates in the spring and what dates in the fall?


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## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

BeeDakota said:


> so when should hives be treated? What dates in the spring and what dates in the fall?


That is a very open ended question, too many variables. You'd be better off asking someone near your local. Asking a nationwide group you are going to get all kinds of answers.


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## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

I bought Mite Away Q strips last fall and was hoping they would be my answer to the mites. Is Apivar different? Some of the label on the package is torn so can't exactly see it.


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## BeeDakota (Oct 9, 2016)

AstroZomBEE said:


> That is a very open ended question, too many variables. You'd be better off asking someone near your local. Asking a nationwide group you are going to get all kinds of answers.


I figured as much. I've only 2 local beeks around here. Both big commercial operations and are not willing to help out the little guy like myself. Apparently me and my 6 hives threaten them


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## BeeDakota (Oct 9, 2016)

AstroZomBEE said:


> That is a very open ended question, too many variables. You'd be better off asking someone near your local. Asking a nationwide group you are going to get all kinds of answers.


I figured as much. I've only 2 local beeks around here. Both big commercial operations and are not willing to help out the little guy like myself. Apparently me and my 6 hives threaten them


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Consider apiguard too. It works well on a strong hive, but I will never use it on nucs again. Apivar may still work on the mite population in your area and it is cheap and easy. But you do need to test with sugar rolls or alcohol washes and find out what your mite count is and what effect your treatment is having on them. 

The commercial guys don't consider you a threat, they just don't want to spend the time. If they have been at bees for a long time, they may be all mentored out. My experience was always positive with commercial beeks. Ask for a job in their honey house next summer and let them know you are serious, not just another hobbyist mite bomber.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Lol
"Hobbyists mite bomber"
Lol


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Since you are still in the mid winter period in PA and the amount of brood in the hives is still probably low, you may want to consider doing an Oxalic Acid "Dribble" right away, as soon as you get a day near 40 deg. All you would need to purchase is a container of Wood Bleach and a livestock syringe. 

Check your mite levels in the spring when the weather is warm enough and see where you're at. You may or may not need any additional spring treatments depending on the results.


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## johng (Nov 24, 2009)

I'm with Ian Apivar is hard to beat it works and is easy to use. Especially if you used something else in the fall. I try not to use it twice in a row.


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## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

Mike, I'm not sure what an Oxalic Acid "dribble" is. My "Mite Away Quick strips" are Oxalic Acid. But not sure of the dribble part.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

BeeDakota said:


> Apparently me and my 6 hives threaten them


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## Jackasaur (Mar 30, 2016)

Sr. Tanya said:


> Mike, I'm not sure what an Oxalic Acid "dribble" is. My "Mite Away Quick strips" are Oxalic Acid. But not sure of the dribble part.


MAQS is actually Formic Acid.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Sr. Tanya said:


> I bought Mite Away Q strips last fall and was hoping they would be my answer to the mites. Is Apivar different?


Yes, very much.


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## Branman (Aug 20, 2003)

Sr. Tanya said:


> Mike, I'm not sure what an Oxalic Acid "dribble" is. My "Mite Away Quick strips" are Oxalic Acid. But not sure of the dribble part.


I believe Mite Away Quick Strips are Formic Acid, but I might be mistaken.

Edit: whoops too late!


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Sr. Tanya said:


> Mike, I'm not sure what an Oxalic Acid "dribble" is. My "Mite Away Quick strips" are Oxalic Acid. But not sure of the dribble part.


As mentioned, MAQS is Formic Acid. 

Go to the link below and read Randy Oliver's page on Oxalic Acid. It has a great explanation of the "dribble" method, with detailed instructions.

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-questions-answers-and-more-questions-part-1-of-2-parts/


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## jonsl (Jul 16, 2016)

Mite Away Quick strips are Formic Acid not Oxalic. Go to Randy Oliver's Scientific Beekeeping site. He gives a lot of info on using OAD.


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## jonsl (Jul 16, 2016)

Mike you beat me to the punch!


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

Great minds think alike.


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## BeeDakota (Oct 9, 2016)

Mike Gillmore said:


> As mentioned, MAQS is Formic Acid.
> 
> Go to the link below and read Randy Oliver's page on Oxalic Acid. It has a great explanation of the "dribble" method, with detailed instructions.
> 
> http://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-questions-answers-and-more-questions-part-1-of-2-parts/


Thatsa great article but my 1st thought it that I'd have the ratio wrong when applying the OA and id kill my bees.


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

This page has a chart for mixing and measurements. Takes the guesswork out of it. 

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/oxalic-acid-treatment-table/


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

When you purchase any mite treatment, it should come with a label that describes what it is, how to use it, and what safety precautions you need to take. If they don't, you should get one and then read it. These are pesticides and you need to have some respect for them. The legal onus on you is to read and follow the directions. An internet forum like BeeSource can give you ideas for what other people do or do not do. You copy them at your own risk. That said the current administration hasn't made hobbyist use of miticides a top burner issue, so don't fear the pesticide police from pounding down your door. You do need to use your head.

For example, the Oxalic Acid label describes three ways / purposes that OA can be used. If you decide to use it, it is up to you to learn enough about the product so that you can apply it appropriately. This part of beekeeping is not necessarily easy. Welcome to agriculture.


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## costigaj (Oct 28, 2015)

Apivar saved my hive last year when my HopGuard treatment failed. I counted 15000+ dead mites on my sticky board during the 6 week treatment window.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Wow amazing! What sort of shape were the bees in?

And, that 15,000 mites were AFTER the hopguard treatment had been done?


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## costigaj (Oct 28, 2015)

Oldtimer said:


> Wow amazing! What sort of shape were the bees in?


. 

They bounced back well and with the warmer fall and so far a warmer winter here, they are still alive. I treated them one last time with OAV before sealing up the hive for winter.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Like they say, nice save!


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## costigaj (Oct 28, 2015)

And said:


> With the HopGuard I noticed it worked well for about 3 days after application. Then efficacy dropped off. My data set shows this fairly consistently. it was about 1 month after HopGuard application that I saw a big drop in queen laying and an explosion of mites in my sugar roll.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Not a good look for Hopguard. I've noticed generally negative comments from people who have used it.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

The problem I found with Hopguard is the directions for use are not up to par. The directions say "For control of varroa mites, a maximum of three applications per year...". The truth is it should be 3 applications 5 days apart. It has the same problem oxalic acid has. It only works on phoretic mites and each strip stops working after 3 or 4 days. They lost my business because of the poor instructions after all my hives were lost when using the product.


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## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

Thanks, Mike. I'll check it.


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## Sr. Tanya (Feb 9, 2007)

Thank you everyone for the input. :applause:


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## tefer2 (Sep 13, 2009)

Treatment descriptions
http://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/...3/HBHC-Guide_Varroa_Interactive_18FEB2016.pdf


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## Learning2Bee (Jan 20, 2016)

Randy Oliver's drone frames provide amazing prevention that worked well for me last year. Chemical free, cheap, and can use while honey supers are on. Plus, they work.


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