>I am sureyour observations will cause others to be less inclined to just
assume

> that because they treated that they can sleep for a while.
>

Man, I sure don't!  We have already treated every hive in our operation
this season with oxalic (at nuc making), thymol gel or single MAQS mid July
(depending upon whether there was still honey to extract on the hive),
single MAQS again, and now a double MAQS.  It looks like we will still need
one more thymol, and then our fall oxalic dribble.

This is the worst mite pressure that I've seen in years, perhaps do to our
incredible spring build up (looks like I should have hit them first a bit
earlier).  We typically get by with only 4 treatments total a year, and
didn't need a double MAQS last year.  Looks like it will be 6 treatments
this year.

To be clear, I prefer using the "knockback" rates of application rather
than the full rates, since they are gentler on the bees. For the past
decade, that method has worked well.  Admittedly, it would be easier to use
some form of amitraz, but for various reasons, I prefer not to unless
absolutely necessary (I've never yet reached that point).

We are starting to go back through our yards that we first hit with double
MAQS in hot weather.  There is a minor amount of queenlessness, virtually
always in colonies marked as having some sort of "issue" (we turn the lid
upside down to indicate).  Have yet to do mite checkbacks to determine
efficacy of double MAQS this season, but have been checking all yards
religiously since mid July.

>
> > In those not in the 'zone', the mites and the immature bees will be
> damaged or
> killed and in other cells neither will suffer much harm.  It is a matter
> of luck and location.
>

I'm in complete agreement on this point with vaporizing miticides!

>
> >The problem, as Bob pointed out repeatedly is that the way to know you
> got a mite kill is to see that you also have some 'collateral damage' in
> the form of some killed brood.
>

I experimented on a few colonies last month that had very high mite
levels.  Hit them with a strong dose (~35g) of Apiguard thymol gel right in
the middle of the brood nest (on a 3x5 card) in hot weather.  The next
morning, there was chewed out brood all over the bottom boards.  Yet even
that "flash" of thymol vapors did not decrease the mite rate enough.  I'm
guessing that it was just too fast for good efficacy.  There is likely
something to be said for the impermeable cards that come with the product,
but I don't like the resulting trash in the hive.

I'd like to hear more from those on the List who have experience with
Thymovar strips, which are closer to the "cattle oiler" type of delivery.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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