# Verroa mite infetation in California



## thekeeper (Nov 24, 2004)

I have an ifestation of verroa mites.My bees were mite free when they left MN.Now I have an infestation of them.Tried checkmite stripes,apistan stripes and fumidil b.None of the above are working.Heared you can use formic acid mixture but sounds risky does anyone have any suggestions or what the mix ratio of formic acid should be used.Says on container any mixture of 90% acid causes starlization and kills eggs and brood.If anyone has any suggestion open to here them.


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## Pugs (Jul 15, 2004)

keeper,

I'd repost this under the Diseases and Pests forum.

OA is another option and less toxic to bees than formic from what I've read. I'm just starting in bees, so I can't offer any real help, sorry.

Pugs


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I have an ifestation of verroa mites.

As does everyone with bees.

>My bees were mite free when they left MN.Now I have an infestation of them.Tried checkmite stripes,apistan stripes and fumidil b.None of the above are working.

How do you know they aren't working? What is your indication that you still have mites? Are you opening the hive in Minnesota in the middle of winter?

Checkmite usually works but many of the Varroa are now resistant. Apistan used to work, but, at least here, all of the Varroa seem to be resistant. Fumidil has nothing whatsoever to do with Varro mites. It is for treating Nosema infection which is a protozoan, not a mite.

>Heared you can use formic acid mixture but sounds risky does anyone have any suggestions or what the mix ratio of formic acid should be used.Says on container any mixture of 90% acid causes starlization and kills eggs and brood.If anyone has any suggestion open to here them. 

I've never used formic acid. It has been tested much and seems to kill a high percentage of mites and also of queens. It seems to me if it kills the queens then it is probably damaging the bees.

Everyone has mites. How did you conclude that this "infestation" was significant? Do you have any kind of count of mite drop? A stickyboard or even a plain board and counting the 24 hour natural mite drop and averaging it over several days would give you an idea how serious the problem is. Also, it's the middle of winter in MN so it's not really the time to be trying to treat. Formic acid only works when the temperatures are fairly warm (don't remember how warm off the top of my head). You probably could use Oxalic acid, but personally I would guess any damage the varroa have done is probably already done. If you want to treat with something, try Oxalic acid vapor in the early spring before brood rearing kicks. off.

As pointed out, this is the forum for the chat room. It's where people announce they are in the chat room or they ask how to get in the chat room. Questions about mites would go in the Disease and Pests forum.

If you search for "oxalic acid" you will find alot of info on it. If you just look at recent posts there have been several threads on Oxalic acid in the last couple of weeks. If you search on "mite counts" you'll find a lot of discussion on how many mites constitutes a problem.

I would suggest the first thing you do is learn more about varroa mites. Learn more about counting mites (sugar roll test, mite drop board etc.) so that in the spring you can monitor them and decide what you want to do about them. If the counts are fairly normal, you can pick a less drastic solution, such as using small cell foundation in the brood nest, or fogging with FGMO rather than all of the harsh chemicals. If the infestation is bad enough that you don't think that's an alternative you can try something more drastic like the Oxalic acid.

There is no "standard" treatment at this time that is 100% effective. The standard treatments are what you've already tried. Checkmite and Apistan. If they failed then you're into uncharted, unapproved territory anyway. Everything else is pretty much in the "alternative" category.


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## thekeeper (Nov 24, 2004)

I have read all I can on both the mites that effect the bees.I also would suggest that it is not just the mite you can have the problem with.I have found that thier is thousands of diseases that the mites can carry.These are just like the mite.Once in contact with just 1 bee it can spread thru the hive with catastofic effect.We had the mite problem before their is more than just checkmint and apastan strips can be used.The product oxamite stripes I plan on trying that this fall.Right now I'm using taktic-(amatraze) for the verroa mite and menthol 1oz mesh package for the tracheal mite.Since the weather in CA has been rainy but still warm I will be putting the menthol on the botton board and the taktic will be in sprayed on a shop towel in plastic baggie.This will be put in the middle of the top box.Checkmite stripes will still be in.This is the way I will try getting ride of the mite problem.I was also thinking on using sucrocide spray-problem with that is it you have to spray it on that is alot when it comes to 1000 colonies for it.

I would try the formic acid approach but I worked with a beekeeper this summer used the formic acid.Saddly to say he mixed it at 80% acid.This killed off the eggs and all the brood.He had 1500 colonies now he has less than half.We had told him to use the acid at or less than 70%.Now he has all starile queens.
Anyone else have any suggestions if si just leave a post!!


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

<<the taktic will be in sprayed on a shop towel in plastic baggie.This will be put in the middle of the top box.Checkmite stripes will still be in.>>

That's a heck of a plan.


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## fat/beeman (Aug 23, 2002)

I sure you don't work on them bees after dark they might be glowing. I perfer to stay pesticide free. Don


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Anyone else have any suggestions if si just leave a post!! 

I suggest you figure out how to not use the chemicals. It sounds scary to me too.

Small cell, Oxalic acid, FGMO would all be an improvement. The Checkmite and the Apistan aren't working so why keep using them?


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## JAC (Feb 5, 2005)

AS MITES CONTINUE TO EFFECT US, WE JUST KEEP EXPERIMENTING, 1. HAVE STARTED USING CEDAR WOOD FOR SCREEN BOTTOMBOARDS, BROOD BOXES. 20 TO 30% REDUCTION, ALSO POWDERED SUGAR/POWERED GARLIC MIX, (DRAWBACK IS POWERED SUGAR DRAWS MOSTURE)SWICTHED TO POWDERED SOY/POWDERED GARLIC MIX. ABOUT 30% SOME HIVES WITH 3 OR LESS MITE ON 24HR CK.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF A TREATMENT FOR MITES CALLED TIC-TAC? JAC


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## thekeeper (Nov 24, 2004)

My bees are in CA.Am I the only 1 having problems with mites,disease.We sent bees to CA in Nov mite count was down to 5 or less this is 1 colony 2 story per 4 way pallet was checked.Now I'm loosing colonies to mites.Mites that were received in California.Other keeper sent 200 colonies no treat at all in Nov when sent.Lost all but 10.That is a loss.Also bees have picked up disease.So 2 things working against me.Good thing requeened before they had left or I'd be SOL.So I'm going to use thymol treatment if possible.Also using fumudil b for disease.Seems to be helping.Also treated for tracheal mite will see if that helps.With some I just did nothing took out all treats.Took out all frames replaced with some old comb,put in some of the brood and eggs.Did this with 30 colonies.Put 10 all in diffrent areas.(orchards)Did this to find out why only in california my bees have went down hill.Guess by the time I go home I will know.I'm tryin to prevent lossing bees.
Wont be taking formic acid route.Want to control the mite problem not get rid of it.If you kill off all mites I would have to say your full of it.If ya do whats going to stop them from taking over during your honey flow and I'm the one whos stupid they say ha ha.Can never get completly ride of mites.There will always be a pest when your farmin.So I will see how it goes and let ya all know what worked this spring.


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## thekeeper (Nov 24, 2004)

Also with tic-tac or tac-tic.The name is amatraz and must be taken out 5 months before honey flow.Doesnt work anyway mites built up immunity to that also.


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## Walt McBride (Apr 4, 2004)

thekeeper; At what date and aprox. where in Calif. were your hives shipped to with the low mite count that has exploded?
Walt


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## thekeeper (Nov 24, 2004)

Santa Nella,Fresno,los banos,couple other areas.Nov is when they arrived there.Mid Jan mites problems started when quenn layed and had brood.Mites are from out in california.

Bee keepers other bees were treated with other treats as well.Also they have had a greater loss.


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