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Subject:
From:
Peter Prodger <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 11 May 2013 16:10:41 -0400
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I used MAQs last September followed by an oxalic dribble just prior to wrapping for the winter. I am located in Ottawa, Ontario. I also used a SBB sticky board count to confirm what I think will be a norm for my bee hives, I had more then a few mites at the end of the summer.

Because of family commitments I applied the MAQs (as described on the label) 24 hours after taking off the last honey supers and then went away. There were a lot of bees in the two brood boxes. The temperature soared to 31C+ the next day and stayed above the recommended range for the critical first 3 days of the treatment. The label warned about applying when the recommended temperature range will be exceeded. I was too inexperienced and not available to take corrective action. I had a major kill of bees. It looked like what I have read as being a pesticide poisoning. A mat of dead bees in front of the hives. 

I had treated 5 of my 8 hives with MAQs. The 3 not treated were spring splits and I deemed them to have a low mite count. They only got the oxalic dribble. I feed my usual 2:1 syrup (about 8kg sugar per hive). We had a good fall. I am in a pollen rich area.

Having a positive outlook, I took the position I killed a lot of mites. I might even have gotten some of the mites in the capped brood. If the capped mites were not killed at least they may have been limited in their reproductive prowess.

I hoped the queens were not affected.

The test as always is how they come through the winter. We had a long winter when you add in the late spring. Not overly cold for our area, no weeks on end of -30c. There were very few thaws which can be a good thing as it keeps the bees inactive. I have top entrances for ventilation and had opened up the bottom entrances as well. One of the MAQs treated hives had a mouse nest occupying three bottom frames. The 5 MAQs treated hives came through the winter with 1 strong and 4 medium size clusters. No Queen problems. 

The 3 untreated hives did not do as well. One came through as a medium. The other two were small and started to dwindle. When I merged them I discovered one had lost a queen. They continued to dwindle so I have moved them into a 5 frame nuc and boosted with brood from the other hives. Commercially they should be considered 2 dead hives.

In previous years I have used 2-3 treatments of formic acid in loc 50 meat pads. It is easy to apply and remove but requires as many visits as treatments at a time when there is pressure on me to be elsewhere. The MAQs treatments can supposedly be left on and the bees will eventually remove any remainders. I had to scrape off the pads this spring.

I would/will use MAQs again but will be more aware of the temperature forecast. 

regards Peter

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