# Advice on recent OAV treatment



## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Considering the mite count and the probability you still have a small amount of brood, I would do another OAV.


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## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

I can't find the thread, but I seem to remember someone saying their high mite drop count continued for like a week or so after the fall treatment of OAV, that claim surprised me, but maybe wait a few days and see if the count is lower. JMO


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

OAV kills mites that are on adult bees. You have little brood, as brooding has been slowing down now in the fall, and is quickly shrinking now through end of December. With the lessening of brood, you are getting more mites on adult bees. It's not surprising at all, to me, that you had a high mite drop after treating at this time of year.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Agree with those comments.

Also, because your previous treatments were done when there was brood in the hive you would not have got them all, but now there is little brood there will be more phoretic mites available to be killed.

Wait a few days, and do another treatment. See what the drop is, if it's still uncomfortably high you could even follow that with another.


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## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

I am learning a lot with you about the OAV . Here in Portugal I do not know anyone who uses it.

I want to ask three questions :
1) OAV can be used with supers full of honey?
2 ) the effectiveness of the OAV is affected by high temperatures ?
3 ) find that it is effective if applied in early summer , with the idea of relieving the pressure of phoretic mites ?


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

1. Yes it can be, but better not to. It will contaminate the honey combs. OA is not harmful to eat in small doses but how much would be in your honey could vary from none up to quite a lot.

2. High temperature is not a problem.

3. Do you mean early summer when there is not much brood? A general rule of thumb is that if there is a good amount of brood in a hive, 80% of the mites will be inside capped brood, and only 20% of the mites will be phoretic. So if using OAV when there is a good amount of brood only 20% of the mites are available to be killed. Which means the population can bounce back quickly. To solve this some people do a treatment each week for 3 weeks.


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## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

Oldtimer said:


> 1. Yes it can be, but better not to. It will contaminate the honey combs... To solve this some people do a treatment each week for 3 weeks.


Yes in early summer the hives are full of capped brood. I Would have to make the 3 treatments. But I have also supers with honey.
Not to be easy to find a solution to an intermediate treatment. Possibly have to slightly increase the dose of amitraz so that their effect is longer lasting (related with this thread: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?305464-Apivar-low-results).


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

If it's new seasons honey and still uncapped you will definitely get contamination.

How about use OAV in winter?


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## Eduardo Gomes (Nov 10, 2014)

Oldtimer said:


> How about use OAV in winter?


Mr. Oldtimer
Maybe you with your experience and knowledge can help me . The context of my operation is in this thread http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?305464-Apivar-low-results. If you want to take a look I'm very grateful to you.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Thanks Eduardo I read the thread, I believe you got some good advise in it.

Because OAV is a totally different treatment type to Apivar, I don't think you can just swap one for the other, I think you may need to change your timetable or monthly schedule, as you said in your last post in that thread. That's also what I had to do when I made OAV part of my mite management plan, I use OAV at the time of year when there is the smallest amount of brood.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

I have heard that if you drive the bees down and insert a barrier like cardboard or plywood between the hive boxes and supers and then remove the barrier about 3 hours after treatment, there will be no contamination problem... mite populations about double in late summer/early fall, so you will have to treat again after early summer.


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## dsegrest (May 15, 2014)

e-spice said:


> I have a medium-size hive (3.5 supers of 8 frame mediums) of Italian bees that I started from a package last spring. I performed approximately four OAV treatments to in the late summer and fall. I waited until a few days past Thanksgiving for the final treatment (when there is very little brood). I treated them Sunday. Now, 48 hours later I did a mite drop count and found approximately 300 mites. Although I am only a first year beekeeper this was more than I anticipated.
> 
> Should I do a follow up treatment in a few days? I appreciate any feedback. I would never have made it through the first year without this forum!


I would think most of that mite drop is from the mites you killed. You may want to do another sticky board in about a week. If you have another high drop, you should treat again.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks for all the responses. I did a second treatment on Sunday and counted the mites today. Approximately 150 were killed with the last treatment. I am considering treating one final time this weekend.


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

it really does not matter how many mites you kill. the question is how many do you have now as a percentage. do a standard type of mite count for the live bees.


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## e-spice (Sep 21, 2013)

Just a quick followup for everyone. I did a second OAV treatment about one week after the initial treatment. 150 mites fell with the second treatment. About one week after that I did a final treatment and only 10-15 fell so I would imagine the hive is in pretty good shape as far as varroa goes.

I appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions as always. You all are a great resource for new beekeepers.


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