# Mite Treatment



## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Test for mites before making the decision. Always.

If you have a screened bottom board equipped for sticky boards, do a drop count spanning several days. If you see any significant number of mites, I'd follow that up with a more meaningful powdered sugar shake, for which you need a mason jar, a small piece of #8 hardware cloth, and a little powdered sugar. 

Mite infestation thresholds for treatment vary with your region. In our area the most successful beekeepers seem to have low thresholds. If you shake 300 bees and they only drop 2 mites, maybe you can relax for a while. Ten mites, maybe its time to schedule a treatment.

I tend to use a treatment of formic acid in late summer with the option of a second treatment with OAV in early winter if there are still a significant number of mites present. With a schedule like that, the chances of finding enough mites to matter in spring are pretty low.

If you have not been doing treatments, spring counts may be higher than is good, and they'll get worse fast in summer.


----------



## trottet1 (Jul 18, 2013)

Did you treat last fall? If so, how late? If you did not treat last fall, I would say that there are plenty of mites and no need to test.(that statement may spark a heated debate) If you decide to treat now, what would your treatment of choice be?


----------



## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

You may need to treat both spring and fall. I would check a couple of times in the spring. Spring monitoring can be deceiving due the high percentage of mites that are in the brood at this time. As trottet1 said, if you didn't treat in the fall, you should plan on treating during the spring.


----------



## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

I treat for mites the first week of August. I treat strategically and based on conditions at other times of year. Late May and November are typical treatment windows for the secondary treatments. I treat for mites opportunistically when a hive enters a broodless and honeyless condition -- splits and requeening provide unscheduled windows where even "folk" treatments like powdered sugar can be very effective.

The "first week of August" is on the calendar. In the heat of late summer, it is easy to make excuses to delay. By scheduling the treatment period, I ensure it is done in a timely fashion, rather than delayed until September, when it is too late to be effective. I take off honey for treatment, and the August period ensures a "for the bees" honey collection through the Indian Summer of September and October-- this fattens the hive for winter.


----------



## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

My thinking on the timing is this ...

July-August is a dearth. The honey supers are off and the colony is at high population. Mites have built up along with the population. There is not much reason not to treat at this time, except that you need 85 F or less to apply formic acid, if that's what you are using. I like it because it kills mites on capped brood.

By September, the bees are probably cutting back population. The mites are NOT cutting back population. Getting in to fall is too late. The number of mites per bee climbs fast, and mite related diseases along with them. That gives you a weak colony going into winter, and likely no colony in spring.

The early winter target, adjusted for your area, is taking advantage of the broodless state in your area. This is the ideal situation for a snort of oxalic acid vapor (now legal in the US and approved in over half of the states ... check your local regs). In the broodless state, OAV ought to effect a nearly total kill of varroa mites. But waiting until early winter is a bad idea if there was a heavy infestation in the summer, since that would mean sick bees in the winter. Killing the mites does little good if the colony is already dying of parasitic mite syndrome.


----------



## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

Phoebee said:


> My thinking on the timing is this ...
> 
> July-August is a dearth. The honey supers are off and the colony is at high population. Mites have built up along with the population.


+1 I agree with Phoebee, mites grow with the bee population, and need to be treated during the dearth.


----------



## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

Don't forget that the OP is from CT. I am not sure what the flows are like in CT, but here in Ontario we often don't have a summer dearth of significance. Our main flow stretches from late June through July and there can be a trickle right through August to a short intense fall flow. Mid to late August treatments are still a good idea followed up with a November OA dribble or OAV cleanup when the bees are broodless.


----------



## Aganger31D (Jun 1, 2015)

I didn't treat for mites last year. I'm kinda kicking myself for not. I have a lot of bees flying and ton of activity on warm days. I will do a powdered sugar shake on this weekend to see how things are. If I do have a high mite count I would use Apivar Strips. 

But if I use it I wont be able to use the honey correct. Is this better to use during the dearth? 

The other part is I will be moving my bees to Pa. this weekend so I don't want to hurt any of them during the move. 

thanks everyone for the advice and guidance.


----------



## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Experts correct me if I'm wrong, but Apivar should be OK if there are no honey supers on? There should not be a flow on yet in CT, I would think. Treat per the label, and when the label says you are OK, put the supers on.


----------



## D Coates (Jan 6, 2006)

Phoebee said:


> Experts correct me if I'm wrong, but Apivar should be OK if there are no honey supers on? There should not be a flow on yet in CT, I would think. Treat per the label, and when the label says you are OK, put the supers on.


I'm no expert but "yea" on using Apivar without supers on there. Personally I use Apivar in early Sept. but I do no mite counts. I should, but I don't have the time. I assume they've got them at unsustainable numbers. I knock them down as the respective hives are building up their overwintering bee population. I'm feeding heavy syrup at the same time


----------



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Formic acid treatments work well if you can meet the temperature requirements. Treated six hives last summer in late August, as soon as the daytime temps dropped below 90, and have six fat healthy hives this spring. Lost two at my brother's though, one was probably a lost queen, no evidence of mite problems.

If you did not treat last fall, you need to treat as soon as you can this spring, a heavy mite load will slow them down a lot due to many bees not being able to fly properly. I had a swarm last year that was too small to treat with formic acid that dropped huge numbers of mites until I treated in August, next time I'll OAV or an oxalic acid dribble right away, it kept them from building up as much as I wanted. Booming this spring though.

It doesn't matter so much what you do to treat for mites as much as it matters that you do SOMETHING effective. Otherwise, you are looking at 50-60% losses every year, sometimes more. 

Peter


----------



## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Not trying to quibble but the mite population lags the bee population. That is one reason the mites are so devastating in the fall and winter. As bee population increases more various are being produced exponentially. Come fall, when brood is decreasing the Varroa are at full force and stick it to the bees as their numbers dwindle. 



Robbin said:


> +1 I agree with Phoebee, mites grow with the bee population, and need to be treated during the dearth.


----------



## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

challenger said:


> Not trying to quibble but the mite population lags the bee population. That is one reason the mites are so devastating in the fall and winter. As bee population increases more various are being produced exponentially. Come fall, when brood is decreasing the Varroa are at full force and stick it to the bees as their numbers dwindle.


Yes, and I thought I'd made this point, but maybe not hard enough. So lets bang hard on it. Late summer the bees are getting ready to drop their population. The mites have no such plans. If you wait until the bees cut back, mite load per bee will increase. So while treating the hive while broodless in winter is a fine idea, if there is a high mite load in late summer, winter is far too late.


----------



## karenarnett (Mar 25, 2012)

Peter, what is your advice ontype of treatment to do at this time of year? I'm in sw Ohio - fruit trees in bloom, bees building up populations bigtime, temps still swinging wildly. Wondering if formic acid is the way to go now.


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

karenarnett said:


> Peter, what is your advice ontype of treatment to do at this time of year? I'm in sw Ohio - fruit trees in bloom, bees building up populations bigtime, temps still swinging wildly. Wondering if formic acid is the way to go now.


you can use MAQS, Apiguard, or OAV no problem. Apivar from the posts above has to be left on 5 or 6 weeks so it's to late for that if fruit trees are blooming, I would use MAQS since you should have your honey supers on around this time.


----------



## Richard P (Feb 12, 2016)

X2.. I have been puckering up about treatment at this time too, but I am going for it tomorrow late afternoon. My thoughts are what your thoughts seem to be wildbranch. I like the MAQS now because I have lotsa honey, and don't want to remove my supers, and it is a 7 day deal and then over till fall,( which I will then use OAV), My weather and temps will be perfect tomorrow for the week. I am just so paranoid of my bees swarming. I will vent my hive between both double deeps, have screened bottom on now with tray under,but know I will freak when they beard at first, LOL. I have 5 packages, and 2 nucs coming next week, and want to "have a clean yard" with my existing 12 hives. Plus I plan, and am ready for 3-4 splits after this treatment. . I saw anothe MAGS treatment vid that had 1 strip on each of the bottom deep brood boxes. You OK with this as opposed to both strips on the lower brood box?


wildbranch2007 said:


> you can use MAQS, Apiguard, or OAV no problem. Apivar from the posts above has to be left on 5 or 6 weeks so it's to late for that if fruit trees are blooming, I would use MAQS since you should have your honey supers on around this time.


----------



## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

It will be too cold to use MAQS until next week, daytime temps are going to be in the 50s, but check the package or manufacturer's information to be sure. If the temps are in the correct range, MAQS will be fine. I'm not treating, I don't see any mites at all on the sticky boards and everyone is doing great -- big orientation flight this afternoon and fuzzy drones coming out for a look-see.

If you feel a strong need to treat before you are in the correct temperature range for MAQS, OAV will be fine, you just need to treat three times a week apart to make sure you get all of them.

Peter


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

Richard P said:


> I saw anothe MAGS treatment vid that had 1 strip on each of the bottom deep brood boxes. You OK with this as opposed to both strips on the lower brood box?


I have only ever used MAQS in an emergency when neighbors hives crashed, so I am no expert on using it myself. If you decide to try it, post back about your results, the more everyone knows the better. I still miss Mite-away II's worked better in my management. For this spring I used Apivar, but put it in my hives around the 1st of March, due to come out soon, got to check my records. good luck.


----------



## Buzzed (Oct 26, 2014)

A-Ganger subs or surface ?


----------



## KrisRamires (Apr 12, 2016)

It takes time to completely get rid of pest from your home. So be patient and arrange an inspection of your home with the help of a pest control specialist.


----------



## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

KrisRamires said:


> It takes time to completely get rid of pest from your home. So be patient and arrange an inspection of your home with the help of a pest control specialist.


#huh?


----------



## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

aunt betty said:


> #huh?


:thumbsup:


----------



## Richard P (Feb 12, 2016)

Well I did it yesterday afternoon. I hardly slept thinking all me hives, (11) would be gone this morning or dead. I will sleep tonite though, LOLOL. When we started the treatment they started bearding as expected and freaked me out as I invissioned them flying away right off. Took us about 45 min. to run em all. Put the 2 strips from from package in each hive on bottom deeps, (all have double deeps and suppers), my entrances are permanent, so I slid the bottom brood box back 1/2 inch, put small wedges, ( ice cream stick size on 1 side, and a pc. of lattice on the other to the rest of the boxes, and slide my top covers open about a 1/2 inch as well. OK. I went out this morning, boxes were buzzing inside, a few coming out, (it was a bit cool, 57, and light rain), and the was a good amount of dead brood and some bees on the platform, but ALL were buzzing. I plan on removing the shims out later today and putting it all back like normal. I would like some input from you guys that area whole lot more experienced than I am on re closing them up again please. So my final take at this time is: I believe the worst impact on my hives is over, I will feel better now that I know I would have wacked 90% of any mites I had, and that the 7 hives I have coming will come to a safer yard. I look forward to any in put, and a good nights sleep. Thanks












wildbranch2007 




wildbranch2007 is offline 



wildbranch2007 said:


> I have only ever used MAQS in an emergency when neighbors hives crashed, so I am no expert on using it myself. If you decide to try it, post back about your results, the more everyone knows the better. I still miss Mite-away II's worked better in my management. For this spring I used Apivar, but put it in my hives around the 1st of March, due to come out soon, got to check my records. good luck.


----------



## diymom (Apr 8, 2016)

Is anyone familiar with hops guard II? I see it's natural and like MAQS can be used for organic honey and during honey flow right? The hops is pretty pricey but is it effective like other treatments?


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Here is a broad search that will catch posts on the original Hopguard and Hopguard II. 

http://www.beesource.com/forums/search.php?searchid=8351866

I have used the original and it was effective but there are a number of reasons that make it less than ideal. A main selling point is that it is associated with being from a natural plant compound. It is not as cheap or easy as some of the other methods you will find if you chase down the above link. I gave away the balance of the packet I bought and went with Formic acid and Oxalic Acid vaporization. The first is effective on mites in capped brood and the second cant be beat for cheap and has a broad range of temperature suitable conditions.


----------



## diymom (Apr 8, 2016)

Anyone have thoughts on mineral oil fog for treatment?
https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-crv868VZHU


----------



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

diymom said:


> Anyone have thoughts on mineral oil fog for treatment?
> https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=-crv868VZHU


Yup, it's been proven that it does not work.........


----------



## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

My Burgess Fogger has been on a shelf in the garage collecting dust since about 2007. I gave it my best shot, but the mites still won. I suggest looking at other methods to control mites, it was an exercise in futility for me. Even with Thymol.


----------



## diymom (Apr 8, 2016)

Thanks, I won't waste my time then. Would be nice if it worked. So MAQS once a year, but I need to treat multiple times...ugh. more research.


----------



## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

ugh, is right. It's not easy. 
The main thing is to find a treatment you can live with, but with something that actually works.


----------



## diymom (Apr 8, 2016)

You know, it seems beekeeping was a lot easier 20 years ago. Why didn't I start this as a child?
What other treatments won't effect the honey?


----------

