>The reason I ask is there is no question MAQS controls mites but the people I know who use it often see 30% or more winter deaths anyhow.  Is it somehow doing as much damage as good?

I have made quite a study of various formic applications in my small operation in eastern WA. There is a very fine line between effective mite control and destructive brood/queen loss. For me MAQS are way too "hot" at the time when I need them (late summer). What you need to be aware of is not only mite drop but brood disruption or heaven forbid queen loss when winter bees are being raised. Spring or early summer applications have a higher safety margin because the colony can recover and many probably don't even notice the lost generation of young bees. Losing that generation in late summer has much more dire results for those of us in the frozen north. There are other softer applications of liquid formic that I have previously discussed. If interested see the archives.

It will be very helpful for all of us if reports of loss are accompanied with reports of mite counts throughout the season and colony weight going into winter.  If you don't know then in the immortal words of George Imirie, you have some bees but are not keeping bees. Some speculation on my part. Even if mites are controlled late summer, often the damage is already done. It is a mite/virus complex and killing the mites does not instantly rid the colony of damaging levels of the viruses. A small cluster and the queen is in fact most often the result of the mite/virus complex, IMHO. As  Pete and others have pointed out location is everything. I have 5 out-yards and a home yard where we all winter, and a very hard winter it has been. Home is surrounded by other commercial outfits in summer and heavy weed control on the range-lands. This yard is always behind the out-yards that have ample forage and no competition, and thrive, even with the same management. I don't have any solution except to put your bees in isolated yards with good forage. Much easier said than done for sure! 

I fear that these reports will lead some to say that CCD or some new problem is upon us. It may be, we have a history of unexplained die-offs,  but we first must be sure that it ain't the same old mites, nutrition, weather as usual. The chins will be wagging in Galveston, no doubt. I can hear the call "new research is needed". Lets solve our old problems first, mites and resistant queens. 

And a Happy New Year to all!

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA

 

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