# MAQ's in top bar hives



## Jim7310 (Jun 29, 2014)

I used MAQ in three of my hives a couple of weeks ago. I needed to do a treatment for mites and I had these strips available and wanted to use them up. I searched the literature as thoroughly as I could and found no real guidance on how to use the strips in a top bar hive. Since the strips work by releasing formic acid vapor (more dense than air) they obviously could not be placed on top of the top bars. I also did not want to just lay them on the floor of the hive (I have solid floors) as I did not want the bees walking all over them. I ended up skewering the strip on a rescue bar (http://www.thegardenacademy.com/BK_-_Rescue_Frames.html) and suspending it within the brood nest. I used one strip rather than two to see what impact the treatment had on the hives. I did not notice any significant mortality in the hive but still need to do a sugar shake to check actual post-treatment mite count.

As with any hive treatment, your mileage may vary, but it seemed to work well for me on the three hives I tried. I would love to find a way to adapt oxalic acid vapor to the top bar hive as an inexpensive treatment method - maybe next year.

Jim


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## DiPhi (May 16, 2015)

I am trying to figure this out as well. I wrote to the MAQS people, and they were no help. I think because it hasn't been tested they are afraid to make recommendations re top bars. 

One of the main Beekeepers in our area said "The way I’ve treated my top bar was to lay the pads on the floor below the brood. If the hive is FULL of bees do the full treatment(2 pads) or if the hive is 2/3 or less full, do two 1/2 treatments at least 1 week apart.
This is the same way I checked for mites- laying an oiled board under the cluster.
Read all the directions and follow them as closely as you can!
Good luck."

She has a screened bottom and mine are solid, so it may be different for her. 

I just did my first alcohol wash and only captured 50 bees. I counted 1 mite; 2%. 

Now I don't even know if I should treat or not!


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

I used MAQS on 5 TBHs last year in August with great results. I used OAV I December too. I placed one pad on the bottom just behind the brood area and put two empty bars just above the pads. There wasn't enough clearance between the floor and the comb to put the old bars back in. So I slid them back and put the bars from the back in their place. I reversed it all when I took the MAQS out. The brood area in my top bar hives is smaller than in the Langs so one pad worked fine. I had no issues.


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