# OAV in early spring



## ABruce (Dec 27, 2013)

Is anyone using a treatment regime where they use OAV in early spring? My regular treatment is Formic acid around August 15 , and Apivar around March 1. Our provincial Apicultureist has bee n recommending twice a year treatments and it seems to work for me. I would like to add OAV to my rotation and using it after brood stops in the fall is a challenge due to our variable weather. I would like to find a February treatment. We still have snow on the ground and while its just on freezing there is some small amount of brood in the hives. I am thinking three OAV treatments should get effective kill the bees are not flying , and even if they do its just to relieve themselves nothing blooms for a month. If I did it every %? or &? days I should get most of the mites befor they find a capped cell,
Anyone who has a treatment regime they are using thats working would be appreciated.
thanks


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

If I were you, I would do a "one shot" treatment next winter when they are broodless. It's very effective in killing nearly all of the mites giving them a nice start in the spring. You could then delay or eliminate the March Apivar treatment. I probably wouldn't bother doing an OA treatment now if you are going to treat in a month anyway, but it wouldn't hurt. J


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## ABruce (Dec 27, 2013)

MY goal would be to do OAV now instead of the Apivar, I agree the optimum time would be after the colonies go broodless which here is around the middle or end of November, the issue is I wrap my hives for winter with mouse guards on them , I want to buy one of newer OAV blower units, and set my hives up in the fall so I can get them at the broodless point. In that case I will not treat in the early spring,
I do have to say stumbling around in the snow and cold the first week of December is not nearly as appealing as a spring afternoon.
thanks for your thoughts, I do appreciate it


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I see. In that case, go for it. When it is warm enough,do mite washes to see if you have to adjust your schedule this summer. In my case, I wrap my hives with foam so just have to loosen the straps a little to shove the foam up to get the mouse guards off. Maybe you can do it without too much of a hassle. J


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## BDT123 (Dec 31, 2016)

AB, I did my first OAV last year on Feb.15th. I used Randy Oliver's Colony Demography graph as a guide. Had a magnificent Chinook day, +16C. 
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/colony-demography/ Based on a colony in Manitoba, so decent comparison to Alberta.
I did my final OAV last year on Oct.27, again an opportunity made possible by a +12C day. My Varrox directions say the ambient has to be at least +4C.
Should be easy for you in the Okanagan to hit a +4 day in February. 
Brian


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I did my "broodless" one-shot treatment last weekend, which wasn't an ideal time, but I have been out of commission for a couple of months. Some years I have brood by now, some years not. I will be watching closely to see if I need to do a series to mitigate the possibly too-late timing. Last year I was selectively treating some recalcitrant, high-count hives through the whole winter, with no apparent harm to the bees or queen. 

When I get them well-cleaned up in late December, that takes care of the problem right through to late summer. But I don't just rely blindly on that assumption (and previous years' experience), I keep checking all summer long to make sure. I sugar roll each colony monthly and do mite-drop counts weekly. Some years I can get by with only a post Labor Day OAV series plus the broodless period one-shot. Other years the build-up is extra-precocious and I need to treat in August, in which case I roll out the MAQS. My temps in August are usually OK for MAQS, if I pick my week carefully. YMMV.

Whenever I change any aspect of my mite-treatment regimen, I double down on the monitoring to make sure I am still on track.

Nancy


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## propet12 (Jun 17, 2009)

Yes, been doing an OAV treatment in mid-March once the weather begins to break. Been doing this for a number of years, just before, or at the first pollen flow from the maples. The idea being that brooding really ramps-up when the pollen begins to flow. And this is the last time just before supering, that I can use OAV. That, together with my regular routine, keeps the mites in check. I don't have any problem with spring/summer losses from mites.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

ABruce said:


> I am thinking three OAV treatments should get effective kill the bees are not flying , and even if they do its just to relieve themselves nothing blooms for a month. If I did it every %? or &? days I should get most of the mites befor they find a capped cell,
> Anyone who has a treatment regime they are using thats working would be appreciated.
> thanks


Randy O in his last rant was writing (based on his model which he admits needs fine tuning) 4 treatments 12 days apart resulted in 96% efficacy. Again, that’s not counting mites, that just using his model. 
I’m finding 4 treatments, 5-6 days apart works great for me WHEN THERE IS BROOD. 12 days apart is too far IMO. Mites have the opportunity to emerge and re-enter a cell and avoid OAV. Since OAV has a killing cycle of approximately 3 days, the 4 treatments 5-6 days apart covers the brood cycle AND the mites in their phoretic state. 
3 treatments, 7 days apart mostly does the same, but it’s possible that mites could exit and reenter a cell to breed during that time. The mites don’t have that time when doing the 4 treatments. I have the time and with the ProVap, it goes quickly.


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## kramerbryan (Oct 30, 2013)

SNL I like the idea of 4 treatments o n that schedule. I just hit mine 3times at 7 days with the provap. So fast and efficient. I don't mind treating the extra round on 26 colonies with such a fine tool. Oav is better than other miticide in my opinion and a lot more cost effective.


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