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Date: | Fri, 12 Apr 1996 16:22:32 EST |
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I have heard conflicting reports as to how long to leave strips in the
hives. Some say 30-45 days, some say 60 (and no more). I think that
the label states 59(?) days [I don't have a label in front of me so
DON'T take that as any direction.]
If the mites life cycle is approximately the same as worker brood (21
days). [I think I read that somewhere], then leaving strips in the
hive for 30-45 days would kill 1-2 generations of female mites leaving
the cells, 60 days would kill 3 generations. This does not consider
those freeranging mites that are coming into the hive from outdoors.
I have heard of different Apistran strategies:
Some state place apistran in the spring for 60 days prior to supering
and again for 60 days after harvest.
Some state place apistran only once, on July 1, then remove on 1 Aug
and place supers for fall flow [Approximately 30 days].
Some state place apistran once, for 60 days beginning the middle of
August.
Ok, folks. What is the story here? What strategies have worked
for you.
My own experience in Dayton, OH has been that if I wait until
September to treat, its too late -- the bees are goners unless
something else happens. Last year I placed strips into my two hives
on Aug 6 and left them for 60 days last fall and then again on Feb 6
and removed them 49 days later. So far both hives came through
strong, healthy and ready to go. This is the first time I have
successfully overwintered my hives after 4 years of trying. Pulled
drone brood revealed no mites to date.
So I am trying to scope out my plan for this year. I don't like
putting strips in at all, but must. Howeer I would like to minimize
their use as much as possible. Would a stragegy of placing strips
from between nectar flows for a period of 30 days provide enough
coverage to protect the bees?
Mark Egloff
[log in to unmask]
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