# Pouring on Fumagilin B in winter?



## cheesegenie (Jul 4, 2009)

I am new to bees, only one season, but yes I have heard of this being done
for sure, around here anyway ( eastern ontario/quebec/new york state).


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

Hello, look around the web for info. on fumagilin drench.. Try Randy Olivers site maybe, good luck


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

here is some info on how to drench, I'm not sure I would do a drench during the winter could do more harm than good. there is also a post somewhere by mike palmer about how to apply fumidil dry if I find it I'll post also.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240094&highlight=drench

the mike palmer post:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/search.php?searchid=3696181


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

I just plain wouldn't consider wetting the bees down in the cold weather. Even if you pour it when the weather is mild, if the evening temps are low and the bees are still wet you may have a problem.


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## Johnny (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey Drone On, have you checked to see if you still have a problem with nosema? I was at the California Bee Breeders meeting in Jan. and Randy Oliver and Eric M. both said that treating with fumagilin just as a preventive was not good idea. I was also told by a real sharp commercial keeper that treating with fumagilin was kinda like a cancer treatment. It knocks the nosema down but also kills all the good in the bee gut. Plus wetting the bees this time of year?? Maybe not so good. Just my $0.02. 
Do you feed sub?

John


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## Drone On (Mar 19, 2005)

Greeitngs,
I talked to the manufacturer of Fum. B and they said that yes I could pour on the stuff mixing it 1 cup of syrup with 4.5 grams of Fum. B. They instructed me to pour it down the sides of the hive, not in the brood area. I have always resisted using the stuff but I am having a few hives crash and the one hive that I had tested, my spore count went from 700,000 to 7,000,000 something in one months time.


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

Pour it down the sides of the hives ?? sounds to me like they know how to sell more product, I would not do that myself as the stuff is quite spendy. there comes a point in keeping bees where you have to figure how much money am I willing to throw away before it just becomes hopeless, not trying to discourage you but it may be more sensible to just pay 75.00 this spring for a package and try again, this time try treating them before winter and see how it goes, just my 2 pennys


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

i tried to use the link to the archive and it stopped working so I copied mike palmers info.

Protocol: 4 treatments per apiary.

1 Control
2 Sugar board (not a candy board)
3 Sugar board with 126 mg fumagillin
4 Fumagillin dust-4 weekly applications of 31.5mg/hive

Sugar boards...as the study says, not candy boards. Candy boards are made by heating a sugar solution to hardball, and pouring it hot into a rim.

Sugar boards are made by dumping granulated sugar into a clean (new) cement mixer and spritzing it with water. When enough water has been added, the sugar is poured into a rim where it cakes. No heating of the sugar. I believe this imitates well the use of granulated sugar above the cluster.


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## Drone On (Mar 19, 2005)

I think I will try this method. I guess I will use a cup of sugar and dampen it with water and add the fum. b. then put it all on a piece of waxpaper. Hoping this is about the right amount of sugar. Thank you for the suggestion.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

If you love your bees do not add any moisture to them until you have an extended warm period. 50 degrees at night would be my preference. Nosema makes them sick. moisture kills!!!


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## MWillard (Dec 8, 2008)

Last winter the Maine apiculturalist Tony Jadczak gave a talk in Vermont about nosema. During his talk he presented data about a study he worked on regarding applying Fum B to hives in the winter/spring. One of his recommendations was using powdered sugar mixed with Fum B. This is applied as a dusting right onto the cluster.

I'll have to go back to my notes to read what he gave as his formula. Stay tuned, I'll repost when I get home.


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## chillardbee (May 26, 2005)

Hey,

I live not to far from you, just across the border in southern BC. 

Despite what others might say on here I would like to remind everyone that our location is wet, cold and damp and that creates a hot zone for nosema. For us, nosema seems takes it's toll in janurary through march. It's hard on the bees to start treating them at that time of year especially if they are already dealing with nosema. by giving them a liquid, your adding to the moisture level. In this case, I will argue that a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We have always fed a gallon of syrup to the bees with fumagillin (1 teaspoon to the gallon) and a drench. last february I had samples sent in from a number of hives for testing and 0 nosema was found. more then that, my hives were healthy and showing it. I will also give them a follow up in march with a drench, the bees are brooding at that time and can handle.


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## gstephan1981 (Dec 21, 2009)

A "suggested" drench method is as follows: Add 1 large (9.5g) bottle of Fumigilian to 8 gallons of syrup. Using the recommended drenching amount (8 oz per hive), this will treat 128 hives. Repeat drench in 7-10 days. Pull supers for 3 days, after drench.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

MWillard said:


> Last winter the Maine apiculturalist Tony Jadczak gave a talk in Vermont about nosema. During his talk he presented data about a study he worked on regarding applying Fum B to hives in the winter/spring. One of his recommendations was using powdered sugar mixed with Fum B. This is applied as a dusting right onto the cluster.
> 
> I'll have to go back to my notes to read what he gave as his formula. Stay tuned, I'll repost when I get home.


this is the info that I posted as coming from mike palmer as he had posted it here already. post #9


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I stand by what I said, post #7 states they where told by the manufacture of fumagilin to pour it down the sides of the hive not on the cluster, this method will do absolutely nothing for nosema of a winter clustered hive, good luck if you try it , but my understanding is the bees need to ingest large quantities of it this is why the drench on the cluster not the hive body. :scratch:


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