On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:45:16 -0400, Dick Marron <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
SO: clean them up in early spring, then 2x in Aug or so will be my
>schedule. Any comments?


I've had success using Api-Var or last year Apiguard one time in early Sept (manufacturer 
reccomends 2 treatments) on high mite loaded hives to knock back the mite level until we do a 
single nov/early dec OA sublimation or drip (if warm enough). I have a freind who uses formic 
early in place of the thymol and then OA later and he too has good success.

We only do the early sept treatment in yards with a high mite load, since they are out of 
production then and here we can have a decent sept flow. We do no spring treatment either and 
over winter. A good broodless OA treatment seems to be enough to skip the spring treatments. 
With brood building up in spring, my experience is no soft mite treatments are very effective, kind 
of an uphill battle. 

As they say all beekeeping is local, I would imagine your broodless period comes later in CT then 
here in MN so that could be important. 

Keeping a carniolan or russian stock is in your favor too in the schedule I describe.  You want the 
brood laying to shut down early.

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