# MAQS change in dosage



## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

I have not heard anything - MAQS is still my go to during the season - I'm playing around with OAV - no conclusions yet. I posted the following on the NOD site on Facebook, in response to a post from them that they were unable to attend EAS this year due to flight cancellation. "It would have been nice to see you at EAS. I saw on Bee Source today a post about a change in label and recommended number of strips to use re: MAQS. What can you say about that? Also I'd be interested in recommendations for triple deep hives and 8 and 10 frame mediums of various quantities."


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## jcummins (Feb 21, 2016)

Some reading I stumble across.....

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/an-early-summer-test-of-mite-away-quick-strips/


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## DirtyLittleSecret (Sep 10, 2014)

Yup. Lots of us around here are going to "half" dose (per Randy Oliver's results). 95%+ effect and far less chance of queen losses that MAQS has a reputation for.


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Reply from NOD on Facebook - "Nothing placed with EPA." 1/2 dose appeared on label in 2014.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I didn't treat for mites in the Spring. Had some high mite counts early in June. When I started taking my honey off, which took about two weeks, I applied one MAQS. Samples taken recently show lower counts. Now I am going around putting wet supers back on and am applying another pad. Now all we need is a nice nectar flow.


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

jcummins said:


> I posted this within another thread, but don't think many saw it, at least I got no replies. So...posting it on it's own.
> 
> I picked up some MAQS couple days ago from a local beekeeping supplier. They said a change in the labeling on this product is fixing to come out, reducing the numbers of strips to use from two...to one. They recommended using only one strip. AND too hot to do it now.
> Has anybody else heard of this.


The one strip option has been actively promoted by NOD and is part of their advertising and I think the packaging of the product. They promote two options very clearly and visably on their website and in many large colorful ads I have seen from them. Scroll down here

http://nodglobal.com/application-usa/


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## orthoman (Feb 23, 2013)

The two options recommended by the NOD group that makes MAQS are: Option 1: 2 strips for 7 days -- or Option #2: one strip for 14 days and replace with a second strip that is removed on day 21. That later options is for weaker hives or fragile queens.


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## Wosiewose (Oct 31, 2015)

I'm wondering - If you do the 3/4" offset between boxes during treatment, does that cause a greater danger of robbing? We have yellowjackets that will brazenly land on the comb in the midst of the bees as I'm pulling the frame out during a routine inspection, and I'm afraid that if I leave the boxes offset for ventilation with MAQS, it might be an invitation to the yellowjackets to clean out the hive. Anybody have any experience that can shed light? Thanks...

Wosiewose


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

What I am curious about . What does the product website say for directions :s


BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

i would not offset boxes 
it is to hot to treat now should be below 85 for 5 days i have done it with temps around 90 on the third day and did not have problems
i think when doing the half dose the more important part is your placement of pad should be asclose to center of brood nest as possible not just tossed in like when using 2 pads
i have treated double nucs in the fall with a ful strip,half a strip, and a strip split into 2 they all worked in my book 
for a full double i use 2 strips with the right amount of venting 
also maqs are all i have ever used so cant compare but they work for me and have not had any problems giving them the full dose


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

When I started doing my MAQS treatment I set the boxes forward a little, maybe an inch, for extra ventilation. Than I stopped doing that. Temps during and after the first pad installed were in the 80s and 90s. When I went back two or three weeks later there were some hives where I found queen cells and some hives that had no functioning colony. No brood. Some had lots of bees in them, but no sign of a queen at work. Those I set up on top of another strong colony.

Seems like my pads may have helped me weed out inferior colonies.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

I have heard that from a friend 
They do kill some of the bees even when used properly of course
and this will make the hive take a look at there queen and question if she is up to the job and this is some of the times when people say it "kills the queen"


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

> Seems like my pads may have helped me weed out inferior colonies.


Mark what % of queen losses do you think they caused?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Hard to say. I haven't been keeping track of numbers this Summer. Just guessing 5%(?). And I'm pretty sure that had the colony been sufficiently strong with plenty of brood, that those are the ones that look really good right now. So I don't see what has occurred as something bad. Rather as something helpful.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Mark did you use only one strip or two?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Does anyone know if MAQS will be coming out in single strip packaging that would make sense with single strip dosing? Opened packages don't keep well, so we're in use it or lose it mode once we open a package.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Glad I saw this as I'm just going into treatment mode. Checked my weather and I got a week of 85 degree F or below just ahead and am planning on placing strips tomorrow. Have twelve doses left and now it just turned into 24. Sweet.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

camero7 said:


> Mark did you use only one strip or two?


One on most of them. But I had one yd that I did use two pads on. I don't remember why. That was before we took the honey off of them. They yielded well. The bees may look a bit better in that yd than the others. May.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Phoebee said:


> Does anyone know if MAQS will be coming out in single strip packaging that would make sense with single strip dosing? Opened packages don't keep well, so we're in use it or lose it mode once we open a package.


I doubt that NOD would find it worth while doing that. Plus that would mean twice as much packaging.

If you have an odd number of hives to treat i think you might as well put two strips on one hive and one in the others. Or you could put that last odd strip in the freezer where you freeze your frames. If you do that.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

I use extra open strips I stored supers


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

Phoebee said:


> Does anyone know if MAQS will be coming out in single strip packaging that would make sense with single strip dosing? Opened packages don't keep well, so we're in use it or lose it mode once we open a package.


Put it is a ziplock and in the freezer - should keep fine that way. I heard some recommend putting them on frozen in fact.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Thanks, Karla!

Still, MiteAway, you listening? Single strip doses = single strip packages!


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Couple weeks ago I put maq's in and treated 26 colonies with one strip each. I just beat the heat and robbers so I've stayed out of the yards.
This Saturday I'll be pulling honey finally (75 degrees).
I'll inspect and tell you guys the results as far as queen loss goes. 
It's been just too hot for beekeeping the past week or I would have checked already. 

Last year I lost zero out of twelve queens treated. Hit the weather perfectly and used two strips per colony. Was testing to see if I could handle it and what losses to expect. 

Very pleased I was. (Yoda reference on purpose)


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## winevines (Apr 7, 2007)

Phoebee said:


> Thanks, Karla!
> 
> Still, MiteAway, you listening? Single strip doses = single strip packages!


I just learned that tip this year- Also to put it in frozen end of the day, minimized damage the fumes can cause.


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

Do the bees get pissy when treated? e.g. during the 3-4 days that they leave the hive and beard outside, are they more likely to sting passersby?

I have a family of 5 staying in my guest house, about 40' from the hives. Under normal day-to-day circumstances the guests don't even know the bees are there. 

But after an inspection I'll have increased bee traffic in the whole area, including near the guest house front door, for an hour or two. I think this is from 1 or 2 of my hotter hives, since those are also the ones that sting me during inspections.

If I'm going to apply MAQS do I need to take extra precautions with my guests?


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

From my observation the bees aren't anymore attacky than usual while under MAQ treatment.
I've only treated 38 colonies though.


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

aunt betty said:


> From my observation the bees aren't anymore attacky than usual while under MAQ treatment.
> I've only treated 38 colonies though.


That's ∞ times more than I've treated!


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

Jim 134 said:


> What I am curious about . What does the product website say for directions :s


The product website actually has a ton of information, including a comprehensive FAQ. Interesting tidbits (emphases mine):



> WHAT IS THE EFFICACY OF EXPIRED PRODUCT?
> It is a violation of federal law to use expired product. *When product expires, it does not lose efficacy, it loses its controlled release*. The eco-paper wrap on the outside of the strips begins to breakdown, thereby inhibiting the controlled release of the formic vapours, which can cause excessive brood, bee and queen loss. Please check expiry dates before purchasing and treating. Dispose of expired product per the label.





> I JUST FINISHED TREATING BUT MY MITE DROP IS VERY HIGH, WHAT IS GOING ON?
> MAQS works by penetrating the brood cap to kill mites where they reproduce. The majority of mites (80%) in a hive are found under the brood caps feeding on the developing bees. After a treatment, phoretic mites (mites found on adult bees) have dropped, however *mites killed under the brood caps will drop as baby bees emerge from their cells*. To get a more accurate mite count, wait a full brood cycle, or 16+ days after treatment.





> I ONLY WANT TO TRY MAQS ON A FEW HIVES IN MY APIARY. IS THIS OK?
> No. MAQS should be used to treat all colonies in the apiary at the same time to prevent reinfestation. If you are wanting to test the product on a small number of colonies, prepare the colonies in a separate yard for this purpose. Bees have an average foraging radius of 3km (1.8 mi), so know your beekeeping neighbors and encourage them to treat with MAQS at the same time.





> THE LABEL SAYS TO AVOID DISTURBING THE COLONY AT TIME OF APPLICATION. CAN I DO A FULL COLONY EXAM AND THEN TREAT IMMEDIATELY, OR SHOULD I WAIT AND COME BACK TO TREAT?
> The bees need to have their affairs in order at treatment time. When running trials, we discovered that the colony assessments were best done 3 days in advance of the application. If the colonies were taken apart, assessed, reassembled and then treated, we noted some absconding and an increased risk in queen loss. *After an exam, it is best to wait at least 24 hours before applying MAQS*.


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