# What now?



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Well riddle me this, I just did a sugar roll and found I have a terrible mite infestation in my overwintered hives. I know I should have found this out a monthy ago, but I didn't. They are doubles and pretty well stuffed with honey. About four frames with sizeable amount of sealed brood and a frame or two uncapped and winding down for the season fast. I need to knock the mite load down now and don't think I should wait til they are broodless to drizzle Oxalic. I am leaning toward Apistan or Api life var. I have been experimenting with various controls that don't seem to have done the job. The bees have been on 4.9 mm frames since I got them as nucs April 2011. I have sacrificed drone brood frames. They had a brood break where I took a nuc from them last spring and made them raise a new queen. Last spring I fed Oil of Thyme and Oregano for a brood cycle with Lemon grass oil to speed their taking it while raising brood. Must have just been a fine year for mites. What now?


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## kangaroo (Oct 10, 2010)

I saw My first mite on a bee earlier this year, not in the hive, but outside, they would not let her in the hive, then I saw her scratching her back, I thought the bees at the entrance where trying to kill her. When I saw one throw the mite off I was impressed by the behavior. Tried to find the mite that was thrown off, but it was flung so quick I could not see wher it went. I believe that there is just a natural behavior in the correct genectics of Feral bee that has allowed them to exterminate this intrusion. I might be wrong, but how else do they survive in the wild with out being treated.


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## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

if they are strong colonies you have a few choices. quickstrips would still work with our daytime highs, theres the weird off label stuff the comm guys use that would kill all the mites not in the cells, hopguard would do that as well. i just finished 2 treatments with hopguard last week. i see the comm guys here have their top boxes off set a little which i think means they are still treating with formic. also its a small step but when i put on tylan or terramiacin i use a flower sifter and cover the bees pretty well. i don't consider it a treatment but it isn't hurting.i order hopguard to a friends in idaho which he repackages and sends to me. are the colonies packed with bees? good luck, justin


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

Oxalic acid on the top bars would do the trick.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Methodology please---theoretically of course.


EastSideBuzz said:


> Oxalic acid on the top bars would do the trick.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

requeen.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Probably not what you want to hear, ,,,,,,let them deal with it. Bees continue to amaze us all. But only if allowed to do so. guess this kills any chance of getting some mead in the mail


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Here you are off preaching and plotting agin the White Folk on another forum! I just put on Apiguard yesterday. If it will give you some satisfaction, I failed to wash my hands after removing the chem gloves and got some on skin beneath my zipper! You may find that poetic justice I suppose. If I ever get a live yeast culture fit to take a chance getting in trouble for, I will send you some my friend. I also was reminded just how sting thru the cheap cotton coveralls mean bees can be.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

LOL, I was wondering when you might put the two Ricks' together. Not a Dr. mind you, but I believe you will have a mite free zone down their LOL. Not a poetic justice wisher. Apparently a travelin preacher. "Let us now read from the book of Monsanto" LOL


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Oh BTW,,,,,the judge will not take the yeast culture into consideration in sentencing. The crime/time will be the same. Just send it  PM


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

You have a fine sense of humor! I was out collecting the last of my equipment that needs burned because I chose not to use tylosin on terramyacin tolerant AFB so cut me a sprout! Winter coming Wednesday. High in forties with possible rain and snow. We got not one drop of anything in September.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

got it. plead insanity 

first snow huh...


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

Perhaps a big helping of Mead will help the fire burn less painful. That situation is a bummer


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

On a high note,,,,,,How bout a Queen for Mead exchange program??? I got queens, you got mead! Huumm,,


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

speaking of mead, i've got three carboys of pear mead that are in varying stages of fermentation.

the one that is the farthest along (fermentation almost complete) looks like it is two-toned.

what i mean is that the mead in the upper 1/3 of the jug is clear and the color of honey. in the lower 2/3's it is getting darker than it was, but is still cloudy and more pear colored.

since it is my first time, i'm not sure if this is normal. any thoughts vg?


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Maybe it is normal in Alabama??? It has stratified for some reason or it is just clearing from the top down. That is what I suspect. . Where is Brewcat?? (in homebrewing) I would ask him. He knows much much more than I. I am going to go rack my batch from capping wax onto some frozen peaches tonight. I need a bigger brewing bucket! I will need to split the batch i fear.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

thanks vg, and sorry for changing the subject, (rick's fault  ). and wrong forum again, duh.

it does have a stratified look, but is clearing from the top down.

peach mead? sounds yummy. 

i ended up with 17 gallons.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Rick 1456 said:


> On a high note,,,,,,How bout a Queen for Mead exchange program??? I got queens, you got mead! Huumm,,


I bet you have good queens too! When will you have some next spring? I will be needing to buy some if you have them and I assume they are mite resistent and can turn toxic waste into lab grade pharmeceuticals.


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## Rick 1456 (Jun 22, 2010)

LOL,,,,,They can convert honey into a sticky brown goo that is hard to get off cars I do not know what they do with mites. It just seems they do.
Well, go to go preach on the other Forum


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