# Treat New Nucs for Varroa



## Molloyjp (May 3, 2017)

I two hives last year to mites (1st year). I am getting 5 overwintered nucs in late March / early April. If OA does not get mites in brood, how do I treat these before Fall. Looks like MAQS can be tough on a hive otherwise I would go that route. Was plan on OA vaporizing in Spring but it sounds like it will not do too much since it will not get to the mites in the brood.


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## Hive5ive (Nov 21, 2015)

I'm new to OAV this year but from what I understand you treat once every five days for four weeks. This allows all of the brood to be open at least once for treatment during brood cycles. Anyone else care to jump in?


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## Riskybizz (Mar 12, 2010)

sure I'll jump in...use 1 strip Apivar for 5 frame nuc. Manufacturer's instructions.


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## Hive5ive (Nov 21, 2015)

I've seen Apivar work, I'm impressed.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

I would use Apivar as well. A nuc is too small of a hive to use MAQS on and spring is a poor time to be using OA in any form if there is sealed brood. OA is great to use in spring for package installs because they do not have any sealed brood yet.


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## Bush_84 (Jan 9, 2011)

I’ve used apivar and haven’t had issues with it. However I am going to start to use oav. From what I’ve read you need to do repeat treatments. As you said oav doesn’t penetrate brood. If you repeat treatments every five days you’ll hit all the mites (or at least most of them) in four treatments. There seems to be some varying opinion about how many and how many days between. Some say three treatments 7 days apart. Some say 4 treatments 5 days apart. I’ll probably treat mine the 4 treatments 5 days apart before my supers go on.


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## Doe Shooter (Mar 20, 2018)

Molloyjp said:


> I two hives last year to mites (1st year). I am getting 5 overwintered nucs in late March / early April. If OA does not get mites in brood, how do I treat these before Fall. Looks like MAQS can be tough on a hive otherwise I would go that route. Was plan on OA vaporizing in Spring but it sounds like it will not do too much since it will not get to the mites in the brood.


If you have to use something on a new hive I'd use Formic Pro. But don't use on a nuc. Use after the colony builds in the brood chamber to 6 frames minimum. Stay away from Apivar. It's a synthetic pesticide that varroa is developing resistance and will get you on the pesticide treadmill.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

Doe Shooter said:


> If you have to use something on a new hive I'd use Formic Pro. But don't use on a nuc. Use after the colony builds in the brood chamber to 6 frames minimum. Stay away from Apivar. It's a synthetic pesticide that varroa is developing resistance and will get you on the pesticide treadmill.


I respectfully request that you provide supporting documentation for your claim.


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## Hillbillybees (Mar 3, 2016)

First test and make sure you need to do something. Your nuc supplier may have already taken care of them before he sold them. If not then Apivar is the ticket but get it out of the hive as prescribed. 40 days or so. As to the pesticide treadmill, if there is such a thing, I would rather be on that than the deadout treadmill. But to each his own. Until then I will keep waiting for all those brave souls on the TF side to start producing queens that make bees that thrash varroa.


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